


they don’t love you like i love you

by BottomDeathstroke



Series: Black Hat tries to be Nice (TM) [5]
Category: Villainous (Cartoon)
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brother-Brother Relationship, Child Abandonment, Diapers, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Family Drama, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mild torture, Non-Sexual Age Play, One-Sided Attraction, Past Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Rescue Missions, Team as Family, Unhealthy Relationships, the author can't write fight scenes so he avoids them like the plague
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-05 22:16:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 42,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17927393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BottomDeathstroke/pseuds/BottomDeathstroke
Summary: After having a troubling nightmare, Slug Flys becomes convinced that his younger brother Flug is in terrible danger! With the help of his boss and coworkers, the reformed scientist tries to track down his little brother and keep him safe. But does Flug really need saving? Will either of these pairs of brothers learn to get along?





	1. you never should have left

**Author's Note:**

> I’m finally bringing in the Heroic squad! Hell yeah! No idea when the next chapter will be up, but hey, we’ve got this for now! BTW, I’ll add additional tags as the fic goes on, so don’t worry if you don’t see the usual tags just yet, as they’ll come up later! Have a great day!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After having an absolutely horrifying nightmare, Dr. Slug Flys grapples with his feelings, unsure of whether or not his dream was prophetic or not. Thankfully for him, he has a loving mentor to guide him through his troubles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Edited on June 5th, 2019. The start of something Wild.))

Surrounded by inky, thick sludge, Slug lays still in the abyss, well versed in this particular breed of nightmare. Slowly, the young man opens his eyes, finding himself underwater- _again, as he always has been-_ the liquid surrounding him darker than charcoal. Swimming upward, Slug’s actually caught off-guard when he reaches the surface, having expected a sheet of ice to stop and drown him. His head now above the water, Slug glances around, his eyes soon finding land. The shore isn’t far, and with nowhere else to go, he swims to the beach. As Slug gets closer, he can just make out what looks like a human body, slumped over and motionless in the sand. Slug squints, feeling an icy chill run up his spine as he recognizes who the person is.

“No… no no _no!”_ Slug shouts, feverishly paddling towards his younger brother’s seemingly dead body. “Please don’t be dead, _please_ don’t be dead! I _promised_ I’d come back! Oh God, _no!”_

**“You can’t save him.”**

Slug startles, stopping momentarily as he looks around, unable to find the owner of the mysterious voice. “Hello? Who’s there?” He calls out, unnerved.

**“You shouldn’t have left.”**

Before Slug can reach the shore, he feels claws dig into his calve. He howls in pain, accidentally breathing in a mouthful of water, but it feels thicker. Is it… is it _blood?_ Can’t be; too dark and chunky. _Tasteless._ Slug doesn’t pay it much mind, too busy trying to escape the claws dragging him down, down, down; to the bottom of the ocean. He tries fighting it, beginning to flail and use his other leg to kick at the monster holding him, but it doesn’t let up. Just as Slug is giving up, he feels something else grab him, this time from above the water. But isn’t he all the way under by now? No, he’s suddenly closer to the surface, the other entity pulling him ashore. Slug coughs and groans, his chest burning in pain as he’s laid out on the sand.

A moment later, his younger brother comes back into his field of vision, looking just as he did the day Slug left him behind, and strangely enough he no longer appears dead on the ground like he did before. “Sammy?” Flug asks, looking oddly calm for a kid who just saved his brother from drowning. “What’re you doing here?” Slug opens his mouth to answer, but no sound comes out. Flug deflates at his lack of a response, tears building in his eyes. “It’s okay, Sam… you don’t have to say anything. I know you left because I wasn’t strong enough; I just wanted to see you one last time, before I go.”

Slug tries to get up- to say something, _anything-_ but his body refuses to move, staying motionless in the sand. Now he’s the body, left to rot on the beach. Flug suddenly gets up, giving his older brother a depressed smile, but a smile nonetheless. “I have to go now,” He says, voice weak. “I love you so much, Sammy, even if you don’t love me back… I just wish you’d say something, anything at all,” With that, he turns around, grinning as a large, behemoth of a monster approaches him, dressed to the nines yet dripping hot tar. “I’m ready to go now, sir.”

 **“Very good, my boy,”** It’s the voice from earlier; the monster that tried to drown him. Slug can do nothing as the monster takes his little brother’s hand, beginning to lead the boy away. **“Let’s go home, shall we? No need to waste your breath on the dead.”**

Slug let’s out a scream, but again, it has no sound. He watches as the monster and Flug disappear from sight, the island’s plants beginning to wilt and die after they’re gone, until all that exists is Slug, floating in the abyss. He closes his eyes, allowing himself to sink, deeper and deeper, until there is nothing left of him.

“I’m sorry I left.”

…

Slug wakes up screaming, much to his embarrassment. Thankfully, he’s alone when he comes to, save for 606, who simply gives his creator a less than impressed look. The dark purple bear let’s out an exasperated huff, rolling his eyes before he goes back to sleep. Slug ignores him, taking a moment to come back to himself. He’s in his lab, meaning he must have fallen asleep while working, something he discovers to be true a moment later when he tries to stand from his chair, his back aching horribly. The scientist hisses under his breath, more than a little irritated as he fitfully rubs at his lower back. He hasn’t fallen asleep in the lab in _months-_ not since White Hat started ordering him to take better care of himself- so to find out he passed out is pretty embarrassing.

It’s been about two years since Slug came to work for White Hat, give or take. He spent the first two years after running away getting himself into a fair amount of trouble, not the least of which involved him getting arrested and imprisoned more times than he’d care to admit. Slug tried and failed to be a villain, but was manipulated and tricked at every turn, until the young man finally gave up, too fed up with the community of villains to try anymore at making a name for himself. He knows deep down that it was probably because he was too stubborn to obey a more experienced villain, but he’s too prideful to admit that. Eventually, he wound up running into White Hat, who had taken a shine to him. Despite Slug being a villain, he had insisted on taking care of him.

At the time, Slug had figured the job wouldn’t go anywhere; he was well versed in getting screwed over, and after learning how corrupt most superheroes were, he had expected the same from White Hat. But no, Slug had been proven wrong, much to his surprise. Before he even knew it, he was helping form the White Hat Organization and specializing as the head of the company’s science division. Again, Slug thought he’d be kicked out at some point; if not for his history as a villain wannabe, then at least for being an insufferable smartass with little to no filter. But to his utter surprise, White Hat had only grown to adore him _more,_ leading to their current… let’s just say _‘less than professional’_ relationship.

Slug sighs, shaking his head at the reminder. If White Hat finds out he fell asleep at his desk again… _ugh._ The scientist groans, doing his best to crack his back as he walks upstairs, determined to get something in his stomach considering the fact that he missed dinner. It’s only once he’s reached the top of the staircase that, out of nowhere, Clementia jumps him, hitting Slug like a freight train and sending him tumbling to the floor (at least he didn’t fall down the stairs this time). “Hi, Sluggy~!” Clementia says in a sickeningly sweet tone, flashing the man underneath her a warm yet dangerous smile. “Isn't it past your bedtime, hun?"

“Whatever, Clem,” Slug has no patience for his colorful coworker, shoving her off without a second thought. “Shouldn’t you be brushing your hair or something?”

“That’s not very nice,” Clementia points out, floating into the air as Slug stands up, the woman toying with her partner’s goggles, only for her hands to be swatted away. “Besides, don’t dodge the question, sweetpea; Whitie’s gonna be mad if he finds out you’re still up!”

“Then don’t fucking tell him, bitch! Now fuck off; I’m busy.” Slug snaps, ignoring her as he storms towards the kitchen. He honestly hates when Clementia messes with him, as he finds her voice and overall attitude incredibly grating.

Before he can reach the kitchen, however, Slug is stopped by Clementia yet again, the unicorn capped girl landing right in front of him, blocking his path. “Samuel, you know better than to talk to someone like that,” She scolds, before her brow furrows, focusing on his bagged face. “Oh, _honey…_ did you have another nightmare?” She asks, suddenly concerned.

Slug growls, physically shoving Clementia into the wall to get her out of the way, ignoring the pained grunt she lets out on impact. “I told you to leave me the fuck alone, Clem. Now _back off!”_ He doesn’t wait around, escaping into the kitchen and locking the door behind him.

Just as Slug begins to let out a sigh of relief, he feels a hand on his shoulder. He lets out a painfully embarrassing squeak, instinctively jumping away from the hand. He swings around, coming face to face with his boss. “White Hat! What the actual _fuck!?”_

White Hat gives his employee a sympathetic smile, not hesitating to grab hold of Slug and pull him into an affectionate hug. “I’m sorry, Slug. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Get. Off,” Slug growls, waiting until White Hat obeys his orders to begin wiping himself off, hands shaking more than he’d like them to. “What the fuck do you want? I want to be left alone right now.”

“You didn’t come up for dinner, son,” White Hat states, unaffected by Slug’s rebellious attitude; he’s used to it at this point. “I was beginning to worry, but I didn’t want to intrude into your safe space… is everything okay? You’re even more anxious than usual.”

Slug hesitates, tempted to keep yelling, but he deflates, aware that it isn’t going to get him anywhere, at least when dealing with White Hat. Slowly, he sits down at the kitchen table, waiting until his boss has seated himself as well to begin talking. “I… I fell asleep while working again. And when I dreamed… it was a nightmare,” When he isn’t made to stop so White Hat can scold him, the scientist continues speaking, encouraged by the lack of negative feedback. “In the nightmare, I was underwater, but it wasn't even water. It was like… _blood,_ but darker and thicker. I’ve had nightmares like it before, but this one went differently. When I swam up to the surface, instead of being stopped by ice and drowning, I got above the water.

“It was nighttime, and I couldn’t really see much, save for an island. When I swam to it, I began to see a blur laying on the beach, until I saw that it was my younger brother. He was just… _lying there;_ I thought he was _dead._ Once I realized it was him, I tried to swim to him, but something grabbed my leg and started to pull me down. I tried fighting it, but it wouldn’t let go. It was only when something else grabbed me that it let go, and my brother pulled me up onto the beach. When I got there, he started talking, but I couldn’t say anything; it was like I was mute. All of a sudden, this giant monster showed up and… it looked like you, but all black,” Details begin to resurface as Slug tells the story, feeling sick when he remembers how terrifying it was. “And, the monster, he… he took my little brother, and the world went away.”

White Hat waits until Slug’s done talking to get out of his chair and pick the young man up, hugging him to his chest. Slug rarely cries, but he feels it’s justified this time, as he silently weeps into his boss’s jacket. After a long while of Slug sobbing and White Hat holding him, the scientist manages to calm down, wiggling in an attempt to be set down. But White Hat ignores him, believing his boy still needs comfort. “Easy, my boy… it’s okay,” White Hat assures, rubbing Slug’s back despite his squirming. “You can fuss all you want, but I know you need me right now.”

Slug sighs, going limp once he realizes White Hat isn’t going to let him down. He lays his head on the demon’s shoulder, feeling embarrassed yet… _safe._ Secure. It’s an unfamiliar feeling to him. “... I’m sorry,” He eventually mutters, embarrassed by his own childish needs. “I’m okay now, sir, really. You can let go now.”

“What you saw was incredibly terrifying. I know you want to be brave and act like you can’t be traumatized, but please… let me help you.” White Hat all but begs, nuzzling against the man’s mask.

“Help how? It was a stupid nightmare… not like it was real,” Slug explains, though he doesn’t try to get out of White Hat’s arms anymore. “The only thing I’m still worried about is my brother.”

“You don’t mention him very often.” White Hat says, blinking, and just like that they’re out of the kitchen, now alone in White Hat’s master bedroom. The demon sits on the bed, keeping his employee on his lap.

“Not a lot to say… I left him behind, after all,” Slug admits, refusing to meet White Hat’s eyes. He doesn’t want to see what he’s afraid of; hatred, disappointment, guilt. “After we ran away from home, I thought it would be best if we split up. My bro didn’t want to do it willingly, so I ran out on him while he was sleeping. I send him letters, every once in awhile, but I’m not even sure if he gets them… only left ‘cus I was convinced he’d get killed if he stayed with me, especially since I still wanted to be a villain at the time.”

“Oh, Sam,” White Hat gives Slug a warm, loving smile, hugging him a little tighter, before letting go, allowing his employee to lay down on his bed, clearly exhausted. “It’s okay, son… I’m sure your brother still loves you. He can’t be mad at you for protecting him, can he?”

“Clearly you don’t know how dense Flug can be,” Slug mutters. When his boss doesn’t respond, he sits up, raising a concerned eyebrow at the superhero. “Boss? Boss, what’s wrong? … _Dad?”_

White Hat snaps out of it at that, but the slightly terrified look in his eyes remain. “I-It’s nothing, son, really! I just… don’t think I ever heard your brother’s name before, that’s all. F-Flug, that’s… that’s a _peculiar name,_ isn’t it? Very _rare…”_

“Boss…” Slug trails off, becoming irritable. Is White Hat hiding something from him? “What the hell is going on? You can tell me.”

“Well, I…” White Hat, again, hesitates. However, once he sees Slug’s genuinely worried expression, he swallows, not wanting to keep such an important secret from his boy. “W-What is your brother’s, er, full name? I just need to… confirm something.”

Slug doesn’t bat an eye. “Flug Slys,” He deadpans, not yet aware of why his boss is so damn nervous. “What’s the big deal? It’s not like his name is even big enough to be on the organization’s database…”

White Hat sighs, giving up on trying to keep his secret. He shows Slug a hesitant smile, in an attempt to reassure him of his love, before he finally tells the truth. “The reason your brother doesn’t come up on the database is because… I don’t want him to. It’s too… _painful,_ to be reminded of who he works for,” He pauses, taking a breath before he elaborates. “You see, _your_ brother… he works for _my_ brother, Black Hat.”

There’s a long, deathly pause, before Slug finally responds. “Excuse me, but what the _fuck_ did you just say?” He asks, his shoulders beginning to shake with rage. “Are you telling me that, despite how _fucking obvious_ it should be that we’re related- the first letters of our first and last names are switched, how the _fuck_ did you not see that?- not only did you _not know,_ but you kept crucial information out of the organization’s _database!?_ The very same database we use to store information on _all_ heroes and villains, no matter _who_ they are!? What the _fuck_ do you think we would’ve _done_ if Black Hat did something? We have _nothing_ on him!”

White Hat isn’t amused by Slug’s tone, crossing his arms and giving him a scowl, as if he himself isn’t in the wrong at all. “Now, Slug, you know better than to take that tone with-”

“-Oh _shut up!”_ Slug snaps, unbelievably furious with his employer. “You entitled _fucking_ cape, you have _no fucking right_ to give me orders, _especially_ not after hiding shit from me and everyone else in this organization! You really think ignoring your brother’s gonna make him disappear? You’re a fucking _fool._ You’re putting countless people in danger because you’re too chickenshit to fight!”

“Young man, that is _entirely_ uncalled for!” White Hat rarely gets upset, especially with Slug, but he can’t help but become enraged by how blunt and ruthless his scientist can be sometimes. “You think I _enjoy_ keeping secrets? I _don’t._ I only hid information about my brother to keep you and everyone else in the organization _safe!_ You think I don’t know how protectively vicious you can be? If you knew _half_ the things my brother has done to me and everyone else on this earth, you’d go after him and get yourself killed. Gosh darn it, Sammy, I _love you,_ and I can’t imagine losing you to the very same person who’s taken _everything from me!”  
_

The two men simply stand there for the longest time, breathing heavily as they restrain themselves from doing anything rash. Finally, Slug gives in first, tears making themselves known as they slide down his chin and drip onto the floor, reality hitting him like a truck. “... So my nightmare was real, wasn’t it?” Slug asks, not even looking at his boss; just staring at the wall, wondering what the fuck he’s going to do now. “My baby brother is being held captive by the world’s most dangerous villain.” He doesn’t dare to ask if it can get worse, aware that it probably somehow can.

“He might be okay…” White Hat offers. When he only gets a teary eyed stare in response, he gives up, hugging Slug instead. “Okay, so he’s probably not entirely okay, considering how my brother can be… but it’ll be okay, son, I promise.”

“How? How the _fuck_ is it going to be okay? My brother is living with- as you’ve implied- the same motherfucker who has powers identical to yours, but with literally no restraint. If your brother’s even _half_ as terrifying as he sounds… we _have_ to save my brother,” Slug pulls away from White Hat, beginning to pace the bedroom up and down, mind racing with ideas. If he looks like he’s manic, he can’t bring himself to care. “It would be foolish to attack him during the day, obviously, so we should strike him at nighttime. It’s only, let’s see… half past one! We have plenty of time, seeing as the best time to perform a break in is at three AM, so we should-”

“-Samuel,” White Hat cuts in, before Slug can really get going. “Son, it’s too dangerous to attack my brother… you _must_ understand, he’s far more dangerous than even _you_ can imagine. To challenge him so shamelessly… he would go _berserk.”_

“As if I give a shit,” Slug says, acting almost nonchalant. Secretly, he’s quite terrified of what Black Hat might be capable of, but his fear for his brother’s safety is stronger, and now that he knows he’s with that _monster…_ he can’t leave him, not again. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, but no matter what you say or do, I’m going to save my little brother.”

“Oh, I’m _absolutely_ going with you, I just think you need to be better prepared,” White Hat elaborates, well aware of how stubborn his scientist is; there’s no talking him out of it now. “If you’re serious about this, we’re going to need Clementia and 606 as well, not to mention we’ll need plenty of your little gadgets.”

Slug groans at the mention of his coworkers. In all honesty, he doesn’t mind bringing 606- after all, his pride and joy is an absolute _beast_ on the battlefield- but the _other one…_ “So we _really_ need Clementia?” He asks, already feeling a headache coming on that the thought of going on a mission with the princess themed girl.

White Hat rolls his eyes, chuckling under his breath. “Yes, we’ll _definitely_ need her. She’s incredibly powerful, and we need all the help we can get. And while we’re out, you can apologize properly for pushing her and being so rude.”

Slug looks away, blushing. “... She snitched, huh?”

As if to answer him, White Hat gives Slug a swift swat to his backside. “Yes, she told me of your abhorrent behavior. I understand that you were reasonably troubled by your nightmare, but that’s _no excuse_ to yell at your coworkers, not to mention touching her without her permission! Honestly, you’re lucky we’re about to go on a mission, or you and I would be having a much more _in-depth_ conversation about your actions.”

Again, Slug’s blushing, quick to face White Hat completely so he won’t have anymore access to his rear. “Okay, okay… I’ll say I’m sorry to her later, okay? Jesus Christ…”

“You should know by now that ill treatment does not sit well with me… and makes it so you don’t sit well either,” White Hat says, chuckling. He’s quick to return to business though, aware that his scientist is still incredibly stressed out. Reminded of this, he ruffles the top of the man’s bag, giving him a warm smile even as he sighs with worry. “Just… be _careful_ when we get there, son. I wasn’t kidding when I said I can’t imagine losing you; you mean everything to me.”

Slug softens, knowing full well how anxious his boss must be to face his brother for the first time in… well, it’s probably been a long time. “I will be, boss… I promise.”

White Hat nods, blinking so that his bedroom door opens, allowing Slug the freedom to leave. “I know you will be… otherwise I’d have your hide. Now go on; you need to get yourself ready before we leave,” As his scientist makes for the door, he calls out one last order. “And make sure to eat something, son. Can’t have a rescue mission on an empty stomach!”

Slug rolls his eyes, but refrains from flipping his boss off. “Yeah yeah. Will do, dad.” He mutters, leaving without another word.

Although Slug doesn’t get the chance to see it, White Hat beams, chest filling with warmth after hearing the affectionate nickname. He’s still deathly afraid of facing Black Hat, but if it’s for his son… well, it’s worth it.

…

By the time they’re ready, it’s barely past two, and yet Slug is rushing the entire team out the door like all hell is about to break loose. When Clementia shoots White Hat a confused look, he just shrugs and smiles sheepishly, aware that Slug is… rather erratic right now. Probably too erratic to do anything this dangerous. While it’s rarely discussed among the Heroic team, the fact that Slug is incredibly unhinged is one of those _‘we know but won’t say anything’_ kind of deals, something White Hat has been trying to fix in recent times. And yet… here they are, going on a dangerous mission despite Slug’s debilitated state. It’s as they’re all getting into the (totally not suspicious at all) family van that Clementia speaks up.

“White Hat, love, you know I’m not one to start a ruckus…” Clementia trails off momentarily, shooting Slug a concerned look from over her shoulder, watching as the scrawny scientist attempts to buckle in his aggressive creation, 606, the beast growling and squirming in resistance. She then looks back at White Hat, lowering her voice so Slug won’t hear her. “But are you _sure_ about this? What are we even _doing_ going after your brother?”

White Hat offers the woman a sad smile, copying her hushed tone. “Because, my dear… this is about Slug’s younger brother as well. You see, he’s… he’s being kept by Black Hat, and lord only knows how he’s faring. Now that Slug knows, he’s become… a tad _obsessed._ You know how he can be; poor boy can’t stand the thought of someone he loves getting hurt.”

“You know I can fucking hear you, right?” Slug speaks up, entirely unimpressed by his boss and coworker’s attempt at whispering. It looks like he’s finally got 606 under control, the vicious bear strapped securely in his seat, unable to get free thanks to the fingerprint lock on the buckle.

“Mind your language, son,” White Hat scolds, but his voice is gentle. _Concerned._ “There’s no need to be upset; I’m simply filling Clementia in before our mission unfolds. Speaking of which, do you have everything you think you’ll need? We have more time if you need to double check.”

Slug rolls his eyes, scoffing under his breath. “Yeah, that’s totally what you were talking about. And yes, of course I freaking have everything! Can we just go already? The longer we waste time, the longer my brother is getting tortured by that bastard!”

In this moment, White Hat is tempted to do a number of things. On one hand, he wants to spank some fucking manners back into his scientist, as he’s been less than pleased with his behavior tonight. On the other hand, he wants to hug Slug and never let go, for fear of losing him to what is yet to come. He settles on something in-between. “Alright, I’m going to be patient because this is a difficult time for you, but understand this, young man; this is your first warning. Keep acting up and you’re not going to like what happens when we get home. Do you understand, or do we need to discuss this further?” White Hat makes his words clear and firm, but he keeps himself from actually punishing Slug, at least for the time being.

There’s a long, heavy pause, before Slug swallows nervously and nods, recognizing his own irrationality and how it’s affecting everyone else. “Okay, that’s… _more_ than fair. I’m sorry, sir,” He then glances at Clementia, not quite meeting her eyes. He’s uncomfortable, but it’s hard to pinpoint what’s fully causing it. “And I’m also very sorry to you, Clem… I was terrible to you earlier, and while I only did it because I was upset, it was completely undeserved,” Once finished, he again looks to White Hat, his goggles hiding how close he is to crying due to how afraid he is. “May we _please_ leave now?” He asks, tone grave and a tad shaky.

Again, White Hat’s concerned, but he refrains from drawing out the tension, answering Slug’s request by turning the key in the ignition, beginning to drive off into the night. He’s well aware that this isn’t the end of Slug’s bad mood, and as a result he’s probably going to have to punish him later, but right now he’s resigned himself to his fate. Like Slug said, his brother is in mortal danger, and now that White Hat knows the criminal mastermind behind a majority of Black Hat’s organization is none other than Slug’s seemingly innocent baby brother… a chill runs down the demon’s spine. How will Slug react when he finds out how _dangerous_ his brother is? Or how he’s living with Black Hat _willingly?_ Only time will tell.

For now, White Hat focuses on the road in front of him, and prays that somehow, someway, at least one pair of brothers will get a happy ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, there’s chapter 1! Thank you all for reading this! I promise for more excitement next chapter (although I’m shit at writing action/fighting scenes so fucking RIP, it’s probably gonna be mostly stealth when they get in). Also, time for me to get some world building explanations out of the way because they’re important to me but might not come up and I want to Scream (feel free to not read this shit because it’s not Super Important but it broadens the AU):
> 
> 1\. Black Hat and White Hat are twin brothers. It’s unclear to them who their parents are, as they grew up as orphans, but their powers soon made themselves known. They were incredibly close as kids, but drifted apart in their teens due to their polar opposite ideologies. White Hat believed they were cursed and needed to suppress their powers, Black Hat wanted to destroy the world that left them alone to fend for themselves. This led to them fighting at around 18/20 years old, nearly breaking the universe, before going their separate ways.
> 
> 2\. Their powers are activated differently. Everything Black Hat does is forceful, as he has always been incredibly fluid and harsh with his abilities, White Hat’s are subtle, and he oftentimes does things without realizing it. Where Black Hat does something physical to use his powers (waves hands, snaps fingers, etc), White Hat does so without thinking too much about it (blinking, breathing, etc).
> 
> 3\. White Hat claimed Slug as his own within his first year working for him, meaning they’ve been seeing each other as father and son for over a year, making their dynamic more concrete and familiar. I might get into their backstory, but it’s very similar to Flug and Black Hat’s, except White Hat was more gentle and Slug was, well… he didn’t want to at first but he eventually got used to it.
> 
> 4\. White Hat is in love with Clementia in this AU (an opposite to Demencia pinning over Black Hat). He wants her to “adopt” Slug as her son and marry him, but she ain’t interested (she sees Slug as an annoying little brother who makes dumb decisions). She’s still happy to fret over Slug though, so long as he isn’t being too shitty about it.
> 
> 5\. 606 is 100% based off of 505’s original design, but with several differences (mostly in behavior and a few DNA changes since it wasn’t a fully completed diagram and Slug only remembers it so well). Slug mostly made him to A), create a creature that could protect White Hat’s house because the nice motherfucker won’t invest in home security, and B), because he really regrets how he criticised Flug’s design (not to mention that he wants a reminder of his little brother because he misses him).
> 
> 6\. Yes, the Heroic crew uses a fucking Soccer Mom van. White Hat is always trying to show himself to be a friendly hero who is “just like everyone else” (even if he isn’t). Slug hates it with a burning passion.


	2. mistakes were absolutely made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Invading Black Hat's mansion isn't going to be easy, but Dr. Slug Flys is more than ready to risk his life if it means finding his little brother. But once inside, Slug is faced with more questions than answers, and what of his brother? Slug is about to learn the hard way that trespassing on a villain's property can only end in pain and suffering for all involved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to actually be longer, but once I realized I was over 6k, I thought it would be best to end the chapter. Don’t worry, it’s not gonna end midway through a scene or anything, but it’ll certainly be a cliffhanger! Hope you’re ready, because this is gonna be a Trip!
> 
> ((Edited on June 15th, 2019. This, for whatever reason, is still one of my favorite things I've written for the series as a whole. What can I say? I love a good undercover/spy mission.))

~~~~“It’s quiet… _too_ quiet.” Clementia’s giggling after she says it, well hidden in a tree behind Black Hat’s mansion, the only tell that she’s there being her occasional quips and hints of her bright pink hair between the leaves.

“Clementia, I am giving you one more chance to shut the fuck up.” Slug’s clearly at his limit once more tonight, positioning himself closer to the mansion in question, hiding in a bush next to the backdoor of the building.

“Samuel,” White Hat keeps his tone firm, his voice cracking in over the team’s earpieces. He’s completely out of sight, having told his teammates that he would only be intervening if Black Hat showed up, leaving him to disappear to an unknown location. Although he's out of sight, it's clear that he's still close enough to keep an eye on things. “What did I tell you before we came here?”

Slug mentally groans, but obliges for the sake of his backside. “To behave,” He murmurs, embarrassed by his own words. “But she-”

“-No buts. That’s strike two, young man.” White Hat warns, before cutting his feed.

“Hee hee,” Clementia’s quick to begin teasing Slug, amused by how easily the man can be wound up by words alone. “Daddy isn’t very patient with you tonight, is he?”

Slug holds his tongue, despite wanting to tell her off. At the very least, he gets some unintended revenge against White Hat, as Clementia’s _‘Daddy’_ slip has the old demon coughing up a storm, something Slug doesn’t actually hear from his communicator. He looks up, just making out his boss’s top hat on the roof. It takes a lot of restraint for Slug not to groan out loud this time as he realizes how easily White Hat could be found, should he make anymore unnecessary noise. It’s times like these that Slug’s more than a little dissatisfied by his teammate’s fashion choices, as Clementia and his boss seem intent on wearing as colorful/bright of clothing as possible, despite how dangerous it makes stealth missions. Honestly, how have they even managed to get _this_ far!?

Still, Slug’s aware he can’t do this by himself, no matter how badly he wishes he could. He’s guaranteed to slip up at some point- despite his near perfect plan- and require some back-up. Taking a moment to breathe, in and out, Slug again goes over his strategy in his head. It’ll just be him going into the mansion, at least until he needs reinforcements. Once inside, he’ll be disguising himself as his younger brother. Slug did some research on Flug on the way over, and he’s mostly just relieved that his brother wears such a simple costume. One trip to a 24/7 store and Slug was able to obtain copies of the lab coat, red converse, paper bag, and goggles that his brother wears. He couldn’t quite find his exact t-shirt, but keeping the lab coat buttoned closed should be an easy enough alternative.

Even if it’s not really his style- too much white, not enough spikes- Slug’s certain he can pull off this disguise. His only _real_ worry is his voice and height, but if he just keeps quiet and hunches a little, Slug’s pretty sure he’s got this in the bag (no pun intended). Once he’s dressed, Slug plans on tracking down his younger brother, knocking him out- he’s sure to have contracted Stockholm Syndrome by now, the poor kid- and escaping out of the mansion. However, Slug’s aware that Black Hat prefers the nighttime much more than his twin, and unlike White Hat has no need for sleep, getting his fuel from food, so the scientist is sure to bump into him at some point during his rescue mission. It’s going to be hard, willing himself not to attack the villain, but Slug knows his brother’s safety comes first.

With this in mind, he pulls out a rectangular, pocket-sized device from his satchel, giving the box a little click. The object scans the keyhole to the backdoor, before glowing green and opening up to produce a key. Slug smirks, satisfied with his invention. “Alright, I’ve got a key to the backdoor… I’ll be heading inside in a minute.”

“Be careful,” White Hat practically begs, voice close to stumbling with concern. “If you feel even a _little_ unsafe, you contact the team immediately, understand? There’s no telling what you might find in there.”

“I’ll be fine.” Slug knows he’s lying, but he can’t bring himself to admit how genuinely nervous he is, seeing as he now knows how dangerous Black Hat and his crew are. One Google search and now Slug’s fairly certain he’s about to face the antichrist and his gaggle of bastards.

“I know.” White Hat assures, a smile in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Slug can see the demon watching him from the roof, the moon overhead making him look godly. _Powerful._ Slug knows he has a guardian angel watching over him tonight.

“Better hurry, Princess Leia; only a few more hours before sunrise.” Clementia cuts in, ruining the moment.

Slug rolls his eyes, refusing to respond. Instead, he very slowly unlocks the backdoor, sneaking inside soon after. Once inside and with the door shut behind him, Slug feels his pulse go through the roof, feeling incredibly intimidated by what he sees inside the building. Where White Hat’s mansion is quaint and soaked in lighter, pastel colors, Black Hat’s manor is decked out in black and red, with countless stolen paintings lining the walls. To Slug’s horror, many of the paintings have been defiled, the once beautifully drawn characters replaced with equally as detailed depictions of Black Hat, occasionally accompanied by dead bodies at his feet or pompous displays of power. The scientist shivers with dread, aware that he’s trespassing into a dragon's den, here to retrieve a naive little prisoner from the dragon's hoard.

“Oh, _Flug,”_ Slug whispers under his breath, glad that he muted his earpiece before he came inside, making it so none of his teammates can hear how anxious he truly is. “How the hell did you get yourself _into_ this mess?”

Ever so quietly, Slug walks down the hallway before him, doing his best to ignore the paintings surrounding him from all sides, his anxiety convinced that the eyes are following him. Shaking his head, Slug tries to assure himself that it’s all in his head, but unfortunately he knows it’s not out of the realm of possibility, seeing how extensive Black Hat’s powers are. The minute Slug reaches a door, he opens it, relieved to find that it’s nothing more than a mostly empty broom closet. _Perfect._ Ducking inside, Slug strips to his underwear and turtleneck, before throwing on his disguise. Honestly, he’s just glad his brother wears a similar outfit to him, not that Slug’s actually too surprised; he did, after all, base his outfit on Flug’s drawing, having been convinced it was a made-up superhero in Flug’s mind. After deciding to commit himself to becoming a superhero, Slug had wanted to make that hero a reality, just for his little brother.

Well, now that hero is going to save him! Filled with determination, Slug stashes his old clothes on one of the storage closet shelves, hidden behind a few cleaning products, before getting back on track with the mission. Very carefully, he exits the closet, making his way down the hallway like nothing's wrong. As far as anyone can tell, he’s Flug Slys, lead scientist for the Black Hat Organization, and he’s just on his way to bed for the night; Slug only hopes Black Hat doesn’t make Flug work 24/7. That thought alone has him boiling with rage, overwhelmingly angry that his brother is living _here_ of all places; not that he will be for much longer, so long as Slug has a say in it. Searching the main floor is tedious work, but Slug doesn’t find much other than a kitchen and bathroom, leading him to believe Flug is either downstairs or upstairs.

He begins with the basement, carefully stepping down the spiral staircase until he reaches an open metal door. Slug pokes his head in first, scanning what he quickly realizes is a laboratory. No one seems to be around. He sighs with relief, fully stepping into the basement to have a look around. Although it was unlit beforehand, the minute Slug steps through the doorway, the lights flicker on, triggered by movement. Slug blinks at the fluorescent lighting, eyes taking a minute to adjust, even with the goggles on, before they widen with wonder. Laid out before Slug is an expansive, open-planned laboratory, the floors polished and shiny. The walls are covered in taped up blueprints, dark red sharpie notes adorning them for Flug’s convenience. There are also some troubling _'motivational’_ posters that have been hung up, but Slug tries to ignore those.

Along the tabletops, there are hundreds upon hundreds of gadgets, both big and small, most of which seem to be finished or close to. Although Slug’s sure most other people couldn’t make sense of this ginormous mess- even _he’ll_ admit that he prefers a tidier workshop back home- the scientist knows that his brother must _thrive_ in this environment. It’s been a long time, but Slug can still remember when walking into Flug’s room was a surefire way to get hurt by stepping on something dangerous, as his bedroom floor had been littered with his various inventions. Unfortunately, their parents would throw his gadgets out anytime they saw them, so Slug’s honestly glad that Flug has the chance to build inventions freely… well, not entirely freely, considering who he works for, but soon he will. Then he can use his inventions for good, just like he always said he would!

 _“I’ll get you out of here, Flug.”_ Slug mentally promises, forcing himself to snap out of it and focus again on his rescue mission.

“And what, exactly, do you think _you’re_ _doing,_ doctor?”

Slug damn near jumps out of his skin, swinging around to stare wide-eyed at none other than the lord of villainy himself… _Black Hat._ Slug can already feel himself shaking a little, secretly terrified of the monster in front of him, but he refrains from freaking out too bad. Before the young man can say a thing, Black Hat steps closer, eyes squinting at him. “Hm… you seem rather _quiet_ tonight, hijo. Perhaps you’re aware that you shouldn’t be in here after I made it so _very clear_ I wanted you to stay in bed?”

 _Hijo!?_ Slug has… so many questions, not the least of which is why Black Hat seems to actually maybe care about Flug getting a good night's sleep! Maybe he’s already tried overworking Flug before and realizes the kid can’t get anything done without fuel? Slug assumes that’s the case, as he can’t imagine this monster genuinely caring about anyone, much less his employees. After all, he’s White Hat’s opposite, and seeing as White Hat only cares about _others…_ this bastard must only care about _himself._ Typical egotistical villain. Honestly, Slug’s seen this sort of man a thousand times over; some sociopath thinks he’s better and stronger than everyone else in the room, and people need to shut up and let this _'better man'_ do as he pleases. Only difference is this monster actually has the power to do just that, but is in no way a better man than even the lowest of criminals, at least in Slug's opinion.

Snapping the young man out of his thoughts, Black Hat takes another step towards him, appearing annoyed by his lack of a verbal response. He gets even more irritated when Slug backs away from him as a result. “Flug? What is the meaning of this? Are you really intent on having a _discussion_ with me this late at night?”

Slug swallows nervously, pulling at his collar so he can breathe better. When White Hat threatens him with a _‘discussion’,_ it means he’s about to get his ass whooped, but it certainly must have a different meaning for Black Hat, right? _Surely_ he wouldn’t give Flug a spanking. Slug feels sick at the very thought, fully believing that if Black Hat _did_ spank his younger brother, it wouldn’t be for punishment so much as for this creature's own sick, twisted entertainment. God, if he’s so much as _touched_ him in any manner that could be interpreted as sexual… Slug doesn’t think he can hold himself accountable for what he’d most certainly do, even if he'd ultimately lose. Unfortunately, all of this daydreaming leaves him distracted, giving Black Hat enough time to swoop in and grab him. Slug expects a slap across the face or a punch to the stomach, his body tense in preparation. But instead… he’s picked up.

Words cannot be formed on Slug’s tongue at this point, his train of thought coming to a screaming halt due to confusion. _“Excuse me, what the fuck?”_ The hero thinks, too tongue-tied and intimidated to voice his question.

“It’s back to bed with you, mi hijo. Can’t have you overworking yourself again.” Black Hat explains, setting Slug on his hip as he makes for the staircase, snapping his fingers to manually turn off the lights once he walks through the doorway.

Again, Slug’s unable to really react, his brain on autopilot as Black Hat takes him elsewhere. This is _not_ how he imagined this mission going. He expected to either be made to work- in which case he’d have to bullshit his way through something until Black Hat left the room- or to be beaten in some way for not being where he's supposed to be. But no, instead he’s being carried around the same way White Hat does when he’s in headspace, or at least close to and resisting it. Slug feels his mouth dry up at the thought of his brother having headspace issues as well, though it wouldn’t be… _too_ surprising, at least when considering the fact that Slug’s mental issues stem from his various childhood traumas, and seeing as Flug went through most of the same bullshit…

Slug’s kicked off of his train of thought yet again when Black Hat stops in front of a door on the second floor. He is again made to wonder if Flug also shares his mental age-sliding, as the door in front of him is covered in taped up artwork drawn in crayon, most of which are of planes and Flug's co-workers/boss. The demon holding Slug hesitates, hand on the doorknob, before he seems to realize something. He gives Slug a suddenly _very_ amused smirk; it sends a terrified shiver down Slug’s spine. “Oh, _mi hijo…_ did you get out of bed because you wanted to sleep in my room again?” Black Hat asks, tone heartfelt and warm. It’s the _single_ weirdest thing Slug’s ever heard.

Slug again doesn’t talk, knowing his and Flug’s voices are vastly different, despite Flug being on testosterone, and speaking would most certainly blow his cover. Thinking on his feet, Slug simply nods, figuring a little shy behavior would be on-brand with his younger brother. Thankfully, Black Hat buys it. “I thought so,” The demon says, playfully ruffling the top of Slug’s paper bag. “While I believe you need to get more used to your new room, I suppose one more night wouldn’t hurt. Come along, then.”

And just like that, Slug is whisked away from the door. Internally, he wonders what his game plan should be. Flug has to be in the room Black Hat nearly took him into, meaning Slug finally knows where he is. Now the trick is getting away from Black Hat, but how? Slug buries his face against Black Hat's shoulder as he collects his thoughts, trying to figure out how to escape the demon without getting chased too soon after escaping him. Although Black Hat is a hellspawn of some sort, Slug knows from working with White Hat that certain things still very much effect him, such as getting hit with a blunt object. Even if the demon can’t physically be harmed by mortal weapons, he can _certainly_ be knocked out, as Slug knows from experience. He feels his face heat up at the memory of when he had knocked out White Hat for trying to cuddle him… yeah, Slug didn’t sit right for a few days after that one.

As Black Hat takes him into the master bedroom, Slug puts his plan into action. To his thankfulness, he’s set on the floor the minute they get inside, Black Hat busying himself with clapping his hands to change himself into pajamas. As this occurs, Slug silently stands up behind the demon, grabbing a cane from the villain’s collection, the object having been hung on a coat rack. He approaches the villain quietly, holding the cane up above his head. “Goodnight, you loveless bastard.” Slug growls, unable to keep from getting in a quick one-liner before he strikes.

Black Hat stiffens upon hearing the foreign voice, but Slug hits him before he can do anything about it, the wooden cane cracking against the back of the demon’s skull. Unsurprisingly, Black Hat goes down at once, incapacitated by the blow. Slug breathes heavily, standing over the demon’s motionless body with an air of satisfaction. With Black Hat momentarily out of the way (as he knows he won't be unconscious for long), Slug exits the bedroom and goes back the way he came, looking for the room from before. He brings the cane with him for good measure, just in case he runs into anymore trouble. Reaching the correct door, Slug tests the doorknob, relieved that it’s not locked in any way. He quietly pushes the door open, dropping the cane in horror once he sees Flug's bedroom. Compared to the laboratory, this room is ten times more surprising, but for all the wrong reasons.

Slug is faced with, in no uncertain terms, an actual fucking _nursery._ The lights are off, but Slug can see everything just fine due to the pastel colors and nightlight plugged into the wall. The ceiling and upper half of the bedroom are painted with clouds and airplanes, a few balloons mixed in as well for variety. The floor is covered in soft carpeting and littered with toys, most of which are stuffed animals and- you guessed it- plastic airplanes. To the left is an oversized changing table, alongside a giant stuffed bear. Correction, that bear is _definitely alive,_ seeing as it's moving somewhat, but it’s thankfully asleep by the looks of it. To the right is a toy box, with a rocking chair tucked into the corner of the nursery. And at the very end of the room, opposite of the doorway… is a _crib,_ built for an adult (admittedly a short one, but still). Inside, Slug can just make out a bundled up, sleeping human.

Slowly, Slug steps inside, leaving the door open as he approaches the slumbering being. He’s careful around the bear, but to his gratefulness it doesn’t even stir, out cold in a large pile of stuffed animals. Once he’s reached the crib, Slug peaks over the bars, looking inside at the crib’s occupant. Although he wishes it wasn’t, it’s definitely Flug in there, unmasked and asleep, blissfully unaware of what’s happening. The boy has kicked off his blanket, revealing that he's in just a t-shirt and… oh God, yeah, that's a diaper. Slug wants to scream- to beat the fuck out of Black Hat and maybe even his good for nothing parents for making him and his brother deal with so much bullshit- but he holds back, somehow. Instead, Slug quietly lowers the crib bars, and once they’re out of the way, he gently sets a hand on Flug’s shoulder, giving the boy a small shake.

“Flug,” Slug whispers, keeping his voice down so that the bear won’t overhear; it might _seem_ harmless, but Slug isn't taking any chances. Flug stirs once he's been touched, but goes still immediately after. “Flug, wake up.” The older brother repeats, using his other hand to pull off his mask. He hopes that if Flug recognizes that it's him, he'll be more cooperative.

After a few more shakes, Flug whimpers, rolling onto his back. Slowly, his eyes open and look in Slug’s general direction, not quite focusing on him. Has he been _drugged?_ That thought alone makes Slug sick to his stomach, and more than a little angry. “Sammy?” Flug’s voice comes out much deeper than Slug remembers; at least he's keeping up with his testosterone shots, despite the environment he's in. “Sammy, what are you doing here?”

Slug resists the urge to cry right then and there, feeling both relieved at being reunited with his brother, and terrified for his safety, seeing as they're still both very much in danger. “That doesn’t matter right now, Flug. What matters is that I came back for you, just like I promised I would.”

Flug sits up, a genuinely confused expression on his face. “No, seriously, how the _heck_ did you get in here? This mansion is more secure than the world's toughest prison. I should know; I designed the security systems. I'm surprised you weren't blown up.” He states, sounding both impressed and frustrated by his brother's achievement. But why would he be _upset?_ Shouldn't he be _happy_ Slug came to save him? Something isn't adding up…

“Why are you even surprised, lil’ bro? You know nothing is impenetrable when it’s me being kept out. Or in for that matter,” Slug says, barely hiding how concerned he is that Flug isn't getting up and trying to escape with him yet. Pushing his worries aside, Slug goes about trying to maneuver Flug out of the crib, beginning to pull on his brother's arm. “Come on, we need to go now.” He urges, gentle yet forceful.

“What? No, I live here,” Flug argues, pulling against Slug’s hold on him. He glances at the bear near his bed, a concerned look in his eyes. “Besides, I can’t leave 505 behind; he means the world to me!”

“You can make a new one when we get home,” Slug offers, becoming irritated with Flug's lack of cooperation. He was afraid of this, but considering the state Flug’s in, he can’t be too surprised that his little brother wants to stay; he’s clearly been brainwashed, or developed Stockholm Syndrome. Possibly both. “I know you’re scared of that monster, kiddo, but I’m here to rescue you! Now please… _come with me!”_

Dawning realization seems to finally hit Flug, but instead of thanking his brother and running away with him for the second time in his life, fear overtakes him, the boy shaking as he lurches away from Slug, overwhelmingly terrified. “Sammy, you can’t be here!” Flug warns, tone urgent. “If Black Hat catches you, he’ll rip you apart!”

“He won’t be a problem, bro; I already took care of him.” Slug assures, believing that will be enough to comfort him.

“No, you don’t understand! Black Hat _can't_ be defeated!” Flug explains, frantic as he backs up in the crib, trying to escape Slug’s reach. Unfortunately, he doesn't have much room to get away. “Sammy, _please!_ Listen to me! I love you more than anyone else in the world, and I don't want to see you get hurt! Please just go… I don’t want Black Hat to kill you.”

“He’s not going to kill me, Flug. Stop making this difficult; I _really_ don't want to knock you out for this!” Slug says, ignoring his younger brother’s warnings as he grabs hold of him once again, throwing the boy over his shoulder. He’s a bit heavy, but Slug’s dealt with worse.

Flug kicks at Slug’s chest, squirming and struggling in resistance. “Put me _down,_ you numbskull!” Flug shouts, no longer keeping his voice down. “I’m not _trying_ to be _difficult;_ I'm _trying_ to _save_ your _life!_ If Black Hat catches you, he’ll-”

**“Put mi hijo down this _INSTANT!”_**

The pair of brothers both jerk in surprise, Slug turning around to face his opponent, effectively making it so Flug can't see who it is, though judging by his sudden lack of struggling, he probably already knows. Black Hat looks absolutely _furious_ from where he's standing in the doorway to the nursery, his body shaking with anger as he glares at Slug, who miraculously doesn’t stand down, his stance strong as he glares right back at the villain. “You’ll have to pry him from my cold, dead hands, motherfucker.” Slug proclaims, his grip on Flug tightening. He's not going to let this monster hurt his little brother ever again.

“Young man,” Black Hat says, tone almost mocking as he changes his strategy in an instant, acutely aware of the shocking resemblance between the two boys before him; it's obvious that he can tell that they're brothers, either by appearance or from actually knowing about Slug. “Seeing as you’re my dear hijo’s brother, I will offer you a very _generous_ opportunity, considering the trouble you’ve caused me tonight,” He takes a step forward, secretly surprised when Slug doesn’t back away, continuing to hold his ground. Suicidal stubbornness must run in their family. “If you put my little hijo down this instant and leave the premises, I will not pursue you, no matter how badly I may wish to dismember you for what you've done. However, if you continue to test me… despite your familial bond, I will _not_ refrain myself from tearing you apart. My boy may cry at first, but it will have been necessary.”

“Jefe, _please!_ Please don’t hurt him!” Flug begs, audibly beginning to sob in fear, as he’s quite certain his boss is about to viciously murder his only worthwhile family member.

“There there, mi hijo,” Black Hat’s overall tone does a _complete_ one-eighty once he speaks to Flug, his voice warm and tender. “I know you’re upset, but this will all be over in a moment. _Well,_ my good sir?” He again focuses on Slug, his body stiff with anticipation. “Which will it be; dismemberment or surrender?”

Slug looks away, offhandedly using Flug’s body to click his communicator back on, not that anyone has noticed it just yet. “Well, Mr. Black Hat… I really have to say, you’ve got me cornered. Seeing as I’m clearly outnumbered, I say we even the playing field, just to make it fair, don't you agree? There's only one way to beat a demon; another fucking demon… _DAD!”_

The room goes deathly quiet. For a moment, no one speaks. The bear- 505, Slug recalls Flug calling him- finally snaps awake, rubbing at his face as he wakes up, but he goes ignored. The only sounds are Flug’s continued crying, and Slug’s heavy breathing. It’s just as Black Hat opens his mouth to speak that, in a flash, a white blur hits Black Hat from behind like a freight train, slamming him down onto the floor with the power of an angry wildebeest possessed by the holy (or perhaps unholy is more accurate) spirit. Slug watches for a few seconds, as White Hat and Black Hat blindly wrestle each other, Black Hat too surprised to attack properly and White Hat too angry to do the same. Before either of them can get ahold of themselves, Slug quickly steps over the pair of brothers, taking his own towards the direction of the backyard to escape.

“JEFE!” Flug screams as he's whisked away, horrified by everything that’s happening. One minute he’s seeing his older brother for the first time in two years, the next he’s watching his boss get attacked by his twin brother. Talk about a rude awakening!

“Sorry, Flug, but this is for your own good!” Slug warns, before sticking a syringe into the back of Flug’s thigh and injecting him with a bright pink fluid. Almost immediately, Flug’s out cold.

As Slug is nearing the backdoor, he turns the corner to face a woman that he can only describe as _‘Clementia but going through a punk phase’._ The person before him- Demencia, if his earlier Google search for Black Hat's most trusted employees is correct- gives Slug the most confused look she can manage, as she’s decked out in pajamas and clearly only up because of the noise, a half empty Slurpee cup in her hand. “Um… _hello?”_ Demencia greets, eyebrow raised as she tilts her head at the pair. “Whatcha doing here, stranger?”

“Rescuing my little brother,” Slug explains, surprised by the lack of aggression he’s receiving. Isn’t she at least a _little_ concerned that he’s kidnapping one of her teammates? “I’m guessing you’re going to try and stop me?”

Demencia smirks, tossing her Slurpee aside, which hits the wall and gets bright green slush everywhere. With her hands now free, she cracks her knuckles, baring her teeth at him, pearly white and sharp like a shark’s. “Oh, _honey,”_ Demencia says in an almost sweet tone, excited at the chance to fight. “I’m going to absolutely _destroy you.”_

Just as the lizard woman is about to pounce, she becomes the second person in this house today to get tackled, as Clementia is upon her within a moment’s time. Again, Slug watches the two girls get their bearings- fully expecting a fight- but to his utter surprise, they both begin laughing upon recognizing each other. “Oh, don’t tell me… _another_ long lost sibling?” Slug asks, almost scared to hear the answer.

“What? Heavens, _no!”_ Clementia stops laughing long enough to explain her behavior to Slug, giving him an offhanded shrug. “We used to be best friends in high school!”

“Clemmy, it’s been _way_ too long!” Demencia points out, forgetting about the presence of an intruder as she grins at her old friend. “How’s the hero thing going for ya?”

“Same old, same old. My boss has a crush on me, but I pretend I don’t notice; you know how it is,” Clementia says, before sighing in disappointment. “Unfortunately, it looks like we’re on opposite sides for this one… want to settle this the way we did at band camp when you broke my CD player?”

“Oh, _definitely.”_ Demencia agrees, kicking Clementia off without warning. Once the other girl lands on the floor, Demencia gets on all fours, growling before she pounces on top of her foe.

Slug watches this with a look of horror, before he vehemently decides he can’t be bothered to care about this and walks away, Flug still limp over his shoulder. Figuring the position might be uncomfortable for his brother, he changes to carrying Flug bridal style, careful not to jostle him too much. Out the backdoor and into the backyard, Slug can hear the fight quite easily from outside, especially when a massive explosion seems to go off from inside. He flinches quite violently, turning around in time to see a smoldering hole in the roof, before Black Hat, in the form of some eldritch horror straight out of a Lovecraftian novel, comes stumbling out of the new skylight, his tentacles latching onto the roof as he tries to get away from his opponent. White Hat appears soon after, a little less horrifying than Black Hat, sure, but he’s still quite terrifying to look at as he's all wings and eyes, looking like a biblical bastardization of an angel, or something close to.

 **“Give it up, brother!”** White Hat orders, his voice sounding amplified and distorted, as if several people are talking at once. **“It’s no use! We’re evenly matched!”**

 **“Perhaps in power, but not in practice,”** Black Hat quips, right back at it as he tries to attack White Hat head on, hundreds of inky black tentacles grabbing at his brother’s wings, trying to overwhelm him. **“While you’ve been busy trying to hide your true abilities, I’ve been using mine to the fullest!”**

Even if it _is_ a bit captivating, Slug forces himself to stop watching the battle and get out of here, quickly running towards the family van. Once he gets one of the backdoors open, 606 comes tumbling out, much to his horror- he was so certain 606 couldn't get out of that seatbelt- and charges into the backyard, where 505 has finally emerged, searching for his lost creator. As soon as the two bears lock eyes, there’s no chance of stopping them, as 606 roars with the fury of a wronged God, thoroughly upset to see something that looks so much like himself. 505, in turn, is absolutely terrified, but once 606 hits him with an open, clawed paw, instincts take over, and 505 begins to fight back. The blue bear goes for the jugular, biting down on 606's neck, which makes blood gush from the open wound as the purple counterpart howls in agony, using both of his paws to try and grab hold of 505’s shoulders in an attempt to push him off.

After getting Flug settled into the back of the van, Slug goes about retrieving 606, too attached to the violent beast to leave him behind. “Heel, 606! Heel, boy!” He orders, hoping a stern tone will scare his pet into behaving himself.

Unfortunately for Slug, he doesn’t have enough time to remember that 606 is kind of unhinged. And by kind of he means _completely._ And by unhinged he means _bloodthirsty._ The moment Slug steps too close to the animals, his beloved creation swings around with all the power of a wild gorilla and  _whacks_ his paw against the side of Slug’s skull. With how strong 606 is, Slug is genuinely surprised the blow doesn’t kill him. However, it does send him to the ground within a few short seconds, his body going limp as a result. Somehow he remains conscious, but something must’ve come loose, because Slug can’t move a muscle; he can only watch as the various battles unfold around him, with Demencia chasing Clementia into the backyard, making every fight now visible.

The scientist gets hit again while he's down, with 505 accidentally kicking him, and although he’s going to have a huge bruise across his chest, at least Slug is now on his back instead of on his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Demencia and Clementia’s fight end first, with Demencia chasing Clementia towards the car. The unicorn hooded woman doesn’t try to continue the fight once she's close to the vehicle, instead kicking her old friend in the face before ducking into the passenger seat of the van, shutting the door behind her to act as a barrier. Soon after, 606 finishes with 505, leaving the blue bear bloodied and wailing in the dirt, although 606 isn’t doing any better, on all fours and panting, the only reason for his consciousness being a stubborn will to survive. The bear lurks back to the van for safety once 505 collapses, forgetting about his creator entirely in favor of nursing his wounds in the van.

 **“This ends** **_now!”_ ** Black Hat booms amongst the chaos, another tentacle forming from the onix tinted mass that he’s become. He strikes White Hat in the chest, sending him crashing into the van, shoving him through the sunroof and landing him in the front seat. **“Now** **_leave!_ ** **Leave and** **_never_ ** **come back!”**

And that’s exactly what White Hat does. Slug, while lying on the ground surrounded by the blood of his and his brother's creations, doesn’t know whether or not White Hat realizes he’s not in the car. He doesn’t know if Black Hat realizes _Flug_ is in the car. All he knows is that, without looking back, White Hat drives away, and leaves Slug behind to fend for himself. In the scientist's mind, it doesn't matter if it's true or not; right now, he believes he's been abandoned by his father. For a long while, everyone that's still around just groans and cries (at least in 505’s case), with Demencia limping over to lay next to the bear, her body covered in scratches and bruises; a far cry from 505’s extensive gashes and bite marks, but she’s still pretty beat up. Slowly, Black Hat descends from the roof, returning to his original form once he’s on the ground, panting and aggitated. The demon comes to stand over Slug, using his cane to tap Slug’s chest, producing a pained groan from the young hero.

Black Hat smirks, but it’s in no way kind. “I see my dear brother left his wretched little _chucho_ behind,” He says, all malice and thinly veiled hatred in his tone. “And where, exactly, is _mi hijo,_ chucho?”

Slug coughs in response, spitting blood onto his chest. Yeah, he’s definitely got a broken rib from 505's kick, that’s for sure. “He… he's safe now…” He struggles to speak, the situation made worse when, instead of gently tapping him again, Black Hat _cracks_ his cane against Slug’s ribcage, an audible crunch accompanying Slug’s pain induced scream.

Afterwards, the villain seems to realize that that was a mistake. “I suppose that wasn’t my… _best_ idea, but you _did_ kidnap my beloved niño,” Black Hat is all business when he speaks, while his eyes are cold and detached; he's trying to bury his feelings. Under different circumstances, Slug might have sympathized with him, but right now, he refuses to. Slowly kneeling down to one knee and grabbing a fistful of the young man’s lab coat, the demon lifts his fist until Slug’s almost sitting up. “In all honesty, I’m going to _enjoy_ torturing you, chucho. And, if you think you’re in pain _now,_ you’re going to be delighted to know that it’s going to get much, _much_ worse.” He explains this with the most evil grin the scientist has ever seen on anyone's face, full of sadism and hatred directed at his new prisoner.

As Slug begins to pass out, black spots invading his vision, he really, truly believes what Black Hat says to him. After all, he’s done his research, and he’s _seen_ what this monster can do… he just wishes he wasn't about to get a hands-on experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh, looks like Slug has gotten himself into quite the predicament… White Hat’s not gonna be happy when he realizes he abandoned his boy. Again, I’m gonna spit out some more probably unnecessary details about certain things, so again, you’re free to ignore my rambling. Thanks again for tuning in! See you all next time!
> 
> 1\. Demencia and Clementia, while unrelated, were best friends throughout middle school and high school. They met in eighth grade and became fast friends, even though everyone they met thought they were sisters since they looked so much alike. They were both in band together as well as into similar interests, but drifted apart after graduation, as Clementia wanted to attend college and Demencia wanted to live on the road. Both kept in touch via the internet, but this was their first meeting in a long while.
> 
> 2\. My headcanon for how Demencia came to join the Black Hat crew is that, several years before Flug showed up, she appeared on Black Hat’s doorstep scared and hurt. She doesn’t remember what caused her to go to Black Hat, and Black Hat never found out why she came, but she’s been with him ever since. After Flug showed up, he designed her lizard hood and gave her superpowers, resulting in her current attire and occupation; before that she was just kinda chilling in the mansion and keeping Black Hat company.
> 
> 3\. 606 and 505, like everyone else, are total opposites/equally matched, save for how strong they are. If anything, 505 is physically more capable than 606, but he’s far too docile to show it very often. 505 only attacked because 606 struck first, not to mention that he was also emotionally compromised at the time of the fight, as he’d just watched his ‘father’ get kidnapped. Still, 505 got pretty messed up from the fight, but he certainly fucked up 606 even worse, and they’re both likely going to be out of commission for a little bit (not too long thanks to incredible self healing abilities).
> 
> 4\. This fic takes place roughly a month or so after the last installment, which is why the nursery has been completed. Next chapter should get into how White Hat and Slug’s relationship is compared to Black Hat and Flug’s, so you can all see how old Slug is mentally. ALSO; Slug recognizes that he mentally age-slides while Flug just sees what he and Black Hat do as “weird non-sexual roleplay”, but hopefully once he learns how White Hat and Slug handle things, he’ll finally have a name for it. Prepare for a lot of fluff and angst, y’all!
> 
> 5\. “the antichrist and his gaggle of bastards” is the single funniest thing I’ve ever written and I’m way too proud of it.


	3. fake it 'til ya make it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped within the confines of his own brother's laboratory, Slug's tolerance for pain is tested by his captors, and he struggles to stay out of headspace. In the meantime, Flug has found himself kidnapped by a bunch of doppelgangers, but he has more than a few tricks up his sleeve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jesus H Christ, this did NOT want to be written. This took unbearably long to get done because I wanted to finish this fic in only three parts, but unfortunately it looks like this will be a four or five parter. Also I was sick as fuck for a bit and even now I’m feeling pretty out of it, so I apologize for any spelling/wording errors I might miss. After this, I’m going back to one-shots lmao (at least until the next Big Event).
> 
> ((Edited on June 22nd, 2019. Ah, yes, that time I shamelessly tortured Slug... you know, before "Taming a Stray" was even thought of as an idea for the series.))

“I would just like to say, from the bottom of my heart; _fuck you.”_ Slug says it almost cheerfully, as if he isn’t being dragged by his lab coat down a flight of stairs.

Black Hat doesn’t say a single word in response to that, which is rather telling. It’s just enough to convince Slug to shut his mouth, at least for the time being. Once they’ve reached the bottom of the staircase, Black Hat leaves Slug on the floor, walking away for a few minutes; it’s not like Slug can run away or anything, considering his broken ribs and concussion. Lying on the floor of his brother’s laboratory, Slug sighs, struggling to stay conscious, as his concussion continuously begs him to fall asleep… what Slug wouldn’t give for a nap right about now, but that thought only goes to remind him of what he’s lost. He knows his boss well enough to know that the poor old bastard is probably freaking out at this very moment- more than likely screaming about how he’s a terrible father- so help can’t be _that_ far away… Slug just has to survive until it gets here.

“So sorry to keep you waiting; I had to make sure your accommodations are as _uncomfortable_ as possible,” Black Hat returns a moment later, all signs of his earlier, unstoppable fury erased. He’s clearly trying to appear levelheaded, even when facing his worst nightmare, but Slug’s met his kind before, and he’s less than impressed. Swiftly, the villain drags Slug by his arm into a makeshift torture chamber, with chains on the wall and everything. The prisoner gets chained up against said wall, Black Hat stepping back afterwards to tilt his head and smirk at his handiwork. “Comfy?” He asks almost conversationally, all too pleased with himself.

“I’ve watched Disney movies scarier than this,” Slug deadpans, giving his captor a smirk. “Look, I watch a lot of porn, and I’m pretty sure this is the part where I forget to pay for my pizza so I just suck your dick instead, am I right? So how about you drop trow and-”

Unsurprisingly, Black Hat backhands Slug for that one, a bright red hand-print appearing on the man’s cheek a few seconds later. But Slug just laughs, grinning seductively at the monster, causing Black Hat to growl in annoyance. “Do you have _any_ sense of self-preservation!? What is it going to take to shut you up?” The demon asks, irritated by his prisoner's sense of humor.

Slug just laughs again; he feels like he does best when his enemies are angry at him, as that’s when they tend to mess up, giving him the opportunity to escape, or at least gain the upper-hand. “Maybe try pulling my hair, _sweetie~!”_ He suggests, adding a sultry wink for good measure.

Again, Black Hat is absolutely _fuming,_ but even Slug can’t keep laughing when the demon actually grabs a fistful of his hair and yanks on it, causing black dots to speckle in the scientist’s vision. “Don’t tempt me, you little _brat!”_ Black Hat growls, teeth gleaming an ivy green as he scowls down at his prisoner. “As much as I would _love_ to castrate you like the chucho you are, I need you alive if I want my niño back, but that’s not to say-”

“-You mean your _fetish doll?”_ Slug is the one struggling to keep it together now, giving Black Hat the most intimidating look he can manage, which is suffice to say not all that intimidating, considering the fact that he’s still very much chained to the wall, and is very small compared to the villain. “I’m not so stupid that I wouldn’t notice what you’ve been doing, you gross motherfucker… you _really_ think I’m gonna ignore the fact that you’ve been _grooming_ my little brother?”

“I would _not_ groom him!” Black Hat suddenly gets quite defensive, which manages to surprise Slug. He was _so_ certain that Black Hat was the type to rub it in, but no, it seems he’s actually… _offended? Somehow?_ “I don’t know how you could _possibly_ think I would do such a thing, but I would _never_ even _imagine_ coitus with that niño!”

“Then what the _fuck_ do you call his room?” Slug’s still unconvinced of Black Hat’s innocence, considering… well, he’s _Black Hat._ Surely pedophilia isn’t outside the realm of possibility with this guy, much less sexual assault.

There’s an elongated pause, consisting of the two men staring into each other’s eyes. Slug knows he’s missing something- some key detail on this weird situation turned abstract painting- but he can’t for the life of him figure it out. Eventually, however, something in Black Hat’s demeanor changes, and Slug can already tell that he isn’t going to get a complete answer from this guy, no matter how badly he wants it. “A nursery.” Is all Black Hat has to say about it, before he leaves the room, shutting the door on his way out.

Needless to say, Slug is still _very_ confused as to what Black Hat means. Deep down, he’s beginning to have a strong suspicion that Black Hat and Flug’s relationship is not entirely unlike his own with his boss, but… _how?_ Slug can’t imagine Black Hat actually loving someone other than himself, but then again, White Hat once mentioned that he and his brother used to be the best of friends, so that means he’s had feelings for people in the past, right? Well, Slug wouldn’t be _too_ surprised if he found out that Black Hat faked his feelings for White Hat- his boss _is_ a little gullible- but still… Slug can’t _entirely_ dismiss the possibility. After all, when Black Hat thought he was Flug earlier, he was… _incredibly_ nice. _Loving_ even. But he could’ve known he was an intruder, right? He could’ve been lying in an attempt to trick Slug.

But… Slug managed to knock him out. The hero doesn’t care _how_ full of himself the demon might be, _no one_ can accurately fake getting knocked out. So if Black Hat didn’t know Slug was an intruder, and therefore treated him like he treats Flug every day… the man shivers, unsure of how to feel. On one hand, he feels like he should be disgusted, as this is clearly a very unorthodox relationship. On the other hand, Slug has a very similar situation going on with _his_ boss, so who is he to judge? He just… he _never_ wanted to imagine that Flug deals with the same issues that he does. When he had convinced his brother to run away with him and start a new life on his own, Slug had hoped his little brother would avoid having all the same trauma as him, but… it seems his plan didn’t work. If anything, Flug seems to be even _younger_ than _him_ when in headspace!

The older brother lets out a long, exhausted sigh. Can Flug even _exit_ his headspace? Slug can’t imagine anyone else in this house making any of the inventions in the lab, so he can only assume that Flug can indeed be _‘big’,_ but how often is he in headspace? Does he remember anything from when he’s big? Is it a blank slate? So many questions, ones Slug doubts will ever be answered, especially if his teammates don’t rescue him soon. Glancing around the torture chamber, Slug can’t help but begin fidgeting. He’s always hated this part the worst… the waiting in-between torture sessions. He’s certain Black Hat will be back at some point- likely to torture and berate him some more- but in the meantime, Slug’s left to his own devices.

Fortunately- or perhaps _unfortunately,_ all things considered- Slug isn’t left alone for very long, as the door in front of him suddenly swings open. In walks Demencia, the lizard woman kicking the door shut behind her. Slug expects to be ridiculed or taunted- perhaps even tortured by her- but instead of any of that, Demencia just… _glares_ at him. Her arms are crossed, her stance agitated yet restrained. Slug can’t really say he blames her for being upset; if her relationship with Flug is anything like his and Clementia’s, she certainly can’t be happy that her teammate has been kidnapped. And if she’s aware of Flug and Black Hat’s _‘unique’_ relationship, is she apart of it? Is she involved? Does she see _Flug_ how Clementia sees _him?_

“So,” Demencia isn’t the least bit cheerful once she finally speaks up, the glare she’s fixing Slug with full of thinly veiled hatred. “Where’s Flug?”

“Probably with my boss,” Slug doesn’t lie- knows there isn’t any point to it- as he looks into the woman’s eyes, feeling unnerved by how serious she looks; she doesn’t seem the type. “If it makes you feel any better, this wasn’t how I wanted things to go.”

“Oh, I know,” Demencia says, before punching Slug in the stomach. _Hard._ It’s enough to knock the breath out of his lungs, the gangly hero doubling over in pain as much as the chains will allow. “You were just gonna kidnap Flug and run away with him, weren’t you? You really think I’m gonna show you any sympathy for that? Any kindness? There’s no good cop here, buddy. Just you, me, and the boss. You’re lucky Fiver is too hurt, or he’d probably shred you for taking his padre.” She’s vicious with her wording, her body pressed up against Slug, forcing him upright despite the pain in his stomach; she wants to crowd him into a corner. Or, more accurately, she wants to make him _suffer._

“Does everyone here just, like, speak Spanish? I know we’re in Mexico, but…” This earns him a slap across the face instead of a punch, making the scientist’s head shake dizzily. Once he recovers, the hero doesn’t hesitate to glare at Demencia as recompense. “Do you even know who I _am?_ I’m Flug’s older brother. Do you know what that means?”

“It means I have even _more_ reasons to hate you. Lord Black Hat told me all about what you and his crap parents did to him, ya know! I’m not going to let a monster like _you_ kidnap him!” Demencia says, all while rearing her arm back to punch him again.

“Wait! _Please!”_ Slug shouts, waiting until Demencia restrains herself from punching him again to let out a sigh of relief. The man fidgets, trying to think his words over before speaking. “Look… I know how this must look to you, and to be honest, things are looking pretty bad on my end, too. So just let me say what I’m seeing first, okay?” He feels childish explaining it this way- he’s beginning to sound like White Hat- but in all honesty, Slug’s much closer to slipping into his headspace than he’d like to be, and right now, juvenile seems to be the only thing he can manage in a coherent fashion.

Demencia hesitates, her expression conflicted. She _clearly_ doesn’t trust him. “How am I supposed to know you’ll tell me the truth? You could be lying to me!”

Slug nods, at least somewhat self aware. “I very well could be, but all I ask is that you hear me out first. After I’m done, I’ll let you talk, okay? Does that seem fair to you?” After receiving a small nod, Slug exhales, before beginning to tell his side of the story. “Look, on my end… I see a group of villains that’ve brainwashed my innocent little brother into becoming one of them. I see a retired criminal mastermind that’s possibly groomed my brother into doing some really fucked up things, and as his older brother, it’s my job to save him. I see that mastermind’s henchman beating the ever-living shit out of me for trying to protect the only person in my family that isn't a monster.”

Demencia huffs, clearly unhappy with Slug’s view on things. “We didn’t… _brainwash_ him,” She says, not quite meeting Slug’s eyes. Slowly, however, she tells her own tale. “Black Hat took him in after superheroes rejected him, and he just sorta… joined us. It was his choice, _not ours!_ And I don’t know what you mean by _‘grooming’,_ but Black Hat loves Flug more than anyone! Even more than… even more than _me,”_ She has tears in her eyes, and Slug is left to wonder if the woman in front of him is in love with her boss. “So I don’t care what you think you _‘see’,_ because Flug was just fine with us! And now look what you and those stupid capes have done; you _kidnapped_ _him!_ He’s probably so scared… and you know what? I blame _you._ Some big brother you are; he didn’t even go willingly! If anyone’s been hurting him, it’s _you!”_

Okay, _ouch._ That hurts. Still, Slug is nothing if not used to getting told off, so he takes it better than most people would. “That’s fair,” He admits, even if he secretly doesn’t think it is. “But I _do_ care about him, Demencia. I know you’ve probably heard some terrible things, but I hope you believe me when I say that all that terrible stuff? That was our _parents!_ I would _never_ willingly hurt my brother, not in a million years!”

“You _abandoned him,”_ Demencia points out, thoroughly unconvinced of Slug’s innocence. Before the man can defend himself, she keeps going. “Don’t even _try_ to lie! I know you two ran away together, but you left him behind to fend for himself! That doesn’t _sound_ like a loving brother to _me!”_

That… that actually hits Slug pretty fucking hard. To have his inner demons speaking out loud- to hear that his brother really _was_ damaged when he left- hurts worse than any wound. “... I’m _sorry.”_ It’s all Slug can think to say, tears threatening to fall in the wake of heartbreak, not that he thinks it’ll matter; this woman clearly hates him with a burning passion.

There’s still no mercy from Demencia, who has begun to cry herself, and now Slug knows that, even if Black Hat doesn’t care about Flug, this woman clearly does. “You’re _sorry?”_ She asks, and upon getting a frantic nod, she punches Slug as hard as she can in the gut for the second time tonight. “Well _‘sorry’_ doesn’t bring Flug home… I hope Black Hat _kills you.”_ With that said, she exits the room, leaving Slug to his own devices yet again… just as he did to Flug. If he starts crying once she’s gone, he doesn’t consciously recognize it, the only thought crossing his mind being the same one that’s been haunting him for the last four years.

“... I _never_ should have left him.”

…

Flug has no idea what the fuck is going on. Well, no, he knows _exactly_ what’s going on, he just doesn’t want to actually deal with it. It feels like only a few minutes ago he was in his bed, sleeping the night away; Black Hat has been insisting he sleep in the nursery more, and while Flug’s still a bit embarrassed by it sometimes, he’d gone to bed tonight without a fuss. That is, until he was so rudely woken up and, before he could really come to terms with the fact that his long lost brother was in his room and seeing him in such a vulnerable state, Flug was whisked out of the room, then rendered unconscious (he can’t remember how). Now he’s in what he can only describe as a soccer mom’s van, mismatched versions of his coworkers surrounding him on all sides. Thankfully no one’s noticed Flug is awake yet, something he’s secretly relieved by.

“White Hat, what in the _world_ are you planning on doing? It would be suicide to go back while we’re still wounded,” The only woman in the car, who happens to be sitting up front- she looks a lot like Demencia- points out, her tone concerned yet calm. “We can’t just turn around and-”

“-I _promised_ Samuel I’d protect him! _No matter what!”_ The person driving- White Hat, apparently- yells, and there are actual tears trailing down his face. Flug’s never seen someone look so genuinely _scared._ “You don’t _understand,_ Clementia, he means _everything_ to me! I can’t… I can’t just _leave him._ Oh God, he must be so scared right now… what if he’s in headspace? Clementia, what if he’s in _headspace!?”_

“You need to calm down, boss. _Breathe,”_ Clementia gently instructs, placing a hand on White Hat’s shoulder. Unfortunately that doesn’t help, something she recognizes very quickly, so she changes her tactics. “Listen, boss; I know you’re scared- I know you think your son is in danger- but this is _Slug Flys_ we’re talking about here. If anything, he’s probably figuring out an escape plan as we speak. If we try to do anything this soon, it will only end in Slug getting hurt. Right now, we need to get home, clean up our wounds, and work out a battle plan,” She suddenly glances over her shoulder, flashing Flug a hesitant glance, clearly uncomfortable with his presence. “Besides… it’s not like we’re the _only ones_ missing a crew member.”

White Hat, after taking a few deep breaths, also looks into the backseat, his expression grave. He vaguely reminds Flug of Black Hat; more accurately of the look the villain has on his face after having to punish him. “... Hello, little one,” White Hat’s tone is softer than cotton, and yeah, Flug can _definitely_ see the family resemblance, even if it’s subtle. “I know you must be _very scared,_ but I can assure you that we will _not_ harm you. You’re safe with us.”

Flug feels incredibly uncomfortable, trapped between a rock and a hard place. It doesn’t help that he can see the purple bear giving him a death glare out of the corner of his eye, clearly intent on shredding him the minute they’re out of the car. “F-Forgive me if I’m n-not entirely c-convinced.” Flug says, hating how his voice comes out so nervous and jittery. He needs to sound strong, _goddammit,_ not like a little kid! _Wait a minute…  
_

“That’s okay… we’ll be okay,” White Hat assures, finally parking the car. Outside, Flug can see a huge mansion that looks just like Black Hat’s, but white. It’s an eyesore to say the least. “Let’s just… get inside. You’re probably overwhelmed by all of this, aren’t you?”

Flug hesitates, considering his options. On one hand, he does honestly feel terrified beyond belief- he just got kidnapped for Christ’s sake- but on the other hand… this superhero seems _incredibly_ gullible. If Flug plays his cards right, he’s pretty sure he can trick these heroes into thinking he’s just a helpless little kid! It’s going to be hard, especially since Flug’s still relatively new to _‘feeling small’-_ a work in progress term for whatever it is he feels when Black Hat fusses over him- so it’s not like he has a lot of control over it. If anything, it’s going to be incredibly hard not to _actually_ be small, but Flug knows he has very few options in this situation. It’s going to be awhile before help arrives, and in the meantime, Flug knows he needs to play up the role of _‘innocent victim’_ if he has any chance at escaping.

Hesitantly, Flug gives White Hat as pitiful a pout as he can manage, eyes wide and brimming with crocodile tears. “... Mhm,” He murmurs, pulling his knees up to his chest so that he’s in the fetal position; he only hopes White Hat is as susceptible to his Bambi eyes as Black Hat is (at least when he’s not in trouble). “I’m really s-scared…”

Hook, line, and sinker. White Hat looks like his heart is going to _melt-_ Flug is beginning to think he should find a way to weaponize his newfound powers when he gets home- before he exits the van, circles around, and gets Flug out of the car, hugging the boy to his chest. “Oh, you _poor_ _thing…_ let’s get you inside.” The demon says, carrying Flug towards the manor.

Flug hides an absolutely devious grin by pressing his face into White Hat’s jacket, as he doesn’t want the others to see how pleased he is. It looks like being kept hostage by these superheroes won’t be as painful as Flug imagined, but he knows he still has a difficult road ahead of him. While White Hat seems like a total pushover, the scientist is fairly certain Clementia is a bit more aware of his antics, meaning he’ll need to cling onto White Hat if he wants to be given any sort of freedom. Just as Flug is going over the specifics in his head as to how he’ll get himself alone with White Hat- perhaps he should fake an injury? No, too risky- the purple bear jumps out of the van, coming to stand in front of White Hat, growling menacingly at Flug.

The scientist is quick to press himself against his captor, faking a terrified sob. “P-Please don’t let it h-hurt me, mister!” Flug begs, still unable to keep from internally cringing at his own actions. Once he gets out of here, he hopes Black Hat will let him take a break from being small, but knowing how protective his boss can be… yeah, Flug’s probably not going to be allowed to be big for well over a month once he’s home.

“606, sweetie, please don’t crowd him! He’s our _guest,”_ White Hat explains, pausing to press a quick kiss to Flug’s forehead; he doesn’t notice the annoyed look the boy makes as a result. “See? He’s small right now, just like Sammy is sometimes.”

Um… _what?_ Flug’s absolutely thrown for a loop by that sentence alone. There’s no _way_ White Hat _actually_ just said that… _right?_ Did Flug hear him correctly? Unfortunately, this can be neither confirmed nor denied, as White Hat seems intent on dropping the subject. Swiftly, the superhero carries Flug into the mansion, and yeah, it’s just as bright and gaudy on the inside as it is on the outside. The boy internally huffs, feeling homesick. He never imagined he’d miss the dark, gloomy feel of the manor, but darker colors have always made Flug feel safer, as they hurt his eyes much less when he’s overwhelmed. It also doesn’t help that the only bright room back home other than the laboratory is his nursery, and Flug _really_ doesn’t want to be reminded of that right now; not when he’s already feeling so small.

“I know it’s very different than what you’re used to… but I hope it will be enough,” White Hat is casual when he speaks, carrying Flug throughout the building, as if he’s giving him a tour. “Until further notice, it looks like you’ll be living with us. We have plenty of food, so don’t worry about going hungry. I just hope you have a stronger appetite than your brother,” Suddenly, the demon looks away, the beginnings of tears in his eyes again. “Sorry, son, I just… I just hope he’s _safe.”_

 _“He so isn’t,”_ Flug thinks, though he doesn’t dare to say that out loud. He doesn’t really _like_ White Hat, but he isn’t going to be downright _malicious_ towards him… at least not right now. The _minute_ Flug gets ahold of a decent weapon- and possibly some makeshift armor, if he can find some- he plans on showing these bastards _no_ mercy; not to the people who’ve taken him from his family. “I-I’m sure Sammy’s okay, sir…” Flug offers, lying through his teeth. In his experience, people are much more agreeable when they’re given a false sense of security.

“I appreciate that, son. Truly, I do,” White Hat pats Flug on the head, giving him a warm, honest smile. It causes Flug to _almost_ feel guilty, but not quite. “Now then, I think it’s about time we get you settled in a room. Can’t have you wandering off, now can we?”

“The basement will do,” Up until now, Clementia’s been pretty quiet, but she speaks up once the subject of imprisoning Flug comes up. One glance at her face has Flug nervous, as he can tell that she isn’t nearly as gullible as her boss. "We've got that spare cell that Slug built a few months ago… it'll work until his boss calls."

“The _basement!?_ Clementia, dearest, how could you even _suggest_ such a thing?” Thankfully, Flug doesn’t have to do anything, as White Hat is quick to fuss over him. The boy internally smirks, excited by how easy it’s been to coerce this superhero into doing whatever he wants. But just to further ensure the demon’s protection, Flug fakes a shivering fit, nuzzling his face against White Hat’s jacket for warmth. This earns a soft series of coos from the hero, who then gives Clementia a less than pleased look. “See? He’s _freezing!_ No, he can stay in Sammy’s room, at least until we hear from my brother. Come along, son.” He then whisks Flug up a flight of stairs, taking him towards the aforementioned bedroom.

Clementia doesn’t give up so easily, hot on White Hat’s heels. “Sir, if I may?” When she isn’t interrupted, she begins to lay out some cold, hard facts in an attempt to knock some sense into her boss. “While it’s clear that Sluggie’s baby brother _is_ adorable, and doesn’t _seem_ like a threat, I think you need to remember that he’s _still_ a _villain._ Not only that, he’s the head of the Black Hat Organization’s science division! _Surely_ we shouldn’t ignore something like that…”

Aw, _fuck._ Okay, yeah, this isn’t going to be as easy as Flug hoped, especially not with this lady around to keep an eye on him! “You _do_ have a point…” White Hat admits, thoughtful. He stops outside of a door, which Flug is pretty sure leads to his brother’s room; the big _‘My Chemical Romance’_ poster taped to the door is right up his alley. “What do you have to say about this, little one? Are you going to be a good boy for us?” The hero holds Flug out in front of him, offering him a hesitant little smile, as if he’s afraid Flug is going to somehow say he _isn’t._

Honestly, how gullible _is_ this guy? No wonder Slug’s working for him; he’s probably got him wrapped around his finger. “I p-promise I’ll be n-nice.” Flug assures, those doe eyes back in full force.

Again, he knocks it out of the ball park. “You see, Clementia? Flug has promised to behave himself!” White Hat says, satisfied with Flug’s answer. However, just as Flug prepares to be set in his brother’s room, he’s met with a surprisingly stern look from his captor. “Because if I find out that he’s been _lying_ to me, he’s going to find out how we handle that sort of behavior around here!”

With that, the door is opened, and Flug is set inside the bedroom, the door shutting in front of him. After a few seconds, the sound of a lock clicking into place followed by the sound of retreating footsteps confirms that Flug’s been truly left alone. Despite the unsettling, somewhat vague threat, Flug feels pretty good about his situation. Sure, he’d much prefer having a few weapons handy, but knowing his brother, that will just take a bit of digging around in his room. Speaking of which… yeah, this room has a _much_ more familiar aesthetic to Flug. Unsurprisingly, the bedroom is painted dark red with black highlights, which the boy knows to be his older brother’s favorite colors. Did Sammy paint it himself? He never was as much of an artist as Flug, but seeing as there’s no pictures, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

Other than the colors, the bedroom looks pretty average, something Flug is comforted by. If he were to find out his brother _also_ had a nursery… needless to say, he’d have a couple of questions. Unfortunately for him, it seems he’s forced to think those questions either way, as after beginning to dig around under Slug’s bed- _surely_ he still has a knife collection stashed somewhere, just like he did when they still lived with their parents- Flug pulls out a stuffed wolf and… a _pacifier._ They’re both dark gray, something that isn’t too unbelievable- Sammy is nothing if not committed to his aesthetic- but the fact that these things are _here…_ so he _did_ hear White Hat correctly. It’s a little hard to deal with emotionally, as Flug doesn’t want to imagine his older brother going through the same bullcrap as him, but should he really be _surprised?_ Considering how White Hat behaves, he figures he shouldn’t be.

It’s a bit weird to think about, as Flug always thought he was the only one who _could_ be little, but… they both went through so much together, _surely_ the brothers are bound to have similar side effects from their shared trauma, right? Nervously, Flug hugs the stuffed wolf to his chest, overcome with a wave of nausea. It’s not one of disgust, rather it’s caused by his ever present anxiety. Is Slug actually going to be _okay_ with his family? As much as Flug wishes he would be, he knows it’s unlikely. Black Hat has never been one to shy away from violence when he’s upset, and considering the fact that his _‘baby’_ has been _kidnapped…_ he’s going to tear the nearest, most dispensable target apart. Flug barely contains a sob at the thought.

“Oh, papi, _please,”_ Flug whispers, feeling so sick and scared. He’s been quietly waiting to begin calling Black Hat such a thing- he’s still convinced Black Hat will get bored of him at some point, so why bother getting his hopes up?- but he hopes that, somehow, just saying it out loud will calm the demon, wherever he may be. _“Please,_ show mi hermano some mercy… _please_ don’t kill him.”

Just as Flug is beginning to doze off- he blames his current exhaustion on stress- he hears the door unlock. He flails a little on the bed, but before he can hide the plushie, in walks Clementia. The scientist tenses up immediately, subconsciously hugging the stuffed wolf even tighter, as if it can somehow shield him. “Um… hello there?” He offers, unsure of why the woman is here.

Clementia enters the room with a stern look on her face, but it wanes somewhat once she catches sight of the plushie in Flug’s arms. “We need to talk, sweetie,” She’s still rather authoritative once she speaks, her usually upbeat and sugar-sweet attitude gone, replaced by a necessary level of caution. “I know you’re not _entirely_ faking how scared you are, but don’t think you’re completely out of the woods just yet… if you’re _anything_ like your big brother, you’ve got something up your sleeve, and I’m not going to let whatever it is hurt White Hat. He might buy the _‘innocent’_ act, but trust me, sweetie, I’m not fooled. I’ll fully admit, you’re _adorable,_ and I’m sure we’d get along under better circumstances… but right now, you’re threatening the safety of my family, and I can’t stand for that.”

Flug scowls, dropping the act entirely. Sure, he was genuinely worried about his older brother a few seconds ago, but now it’s been overwritten with irritation towards the superhero before him. “… So that’s how it’s going to be?” Even if Flug doesn’t _look_ very intimidating- wearing nothing but a t-shirt and diaper while hugging a stuffed wolf can’t be helping- he still glares at his opponent, refusing to be intimidated. “Okay, _fine._ Be as suspicious as you want. You can follow me around all day and night, watch me sleep, all that jazz, but the _minute_ I’m out of your sight? I’m going to make you regret even _looking_ at my organization.” It feels weird, referring to the company as his own, but Flug knows he needs to be as unyielding as possible if he wants to scare this woman.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to really work. “That’s _cute,”_ Clementia admits, smiling almost sweetly at Flug; it’s incredibly unnerving, considering the fact that she’s clearly upset with him right now. “I suppose I’ll just have to be _extra_ vigilant then, won’t I?” She suggests, as if it’s an innocent little game.

“I suppose you _will,”_ Flug refuses to show even an ounce of fear, acting nonchalant instead. He lays down on the bed, as if Clementia isn’t there. “Now then, shouldn’t you be _going?_ I’m tired, and I’m sure White Hat wouldn’t like it if he knew you were scaring me. You think I’m above faking crocodile tears? A slap across the face? I have nothing to lose, _sweetie.”_ He savors that last bit, using the hero's own nickname just to make her twitch.

Clementia opens her mouth- ready to tell him off- but she’s interrupted before she can even speak, with White Hat’s voice calling from outside the door. “Clementia? Are you in there? You’re not bothering our guest, are you?” The demon is clearly concerned, coming inside a few seconds later. He gives the two of them a raised, suspicious eyebrow. “What are you two doing?” He asks.

“N-Nothing much,” Flug explains, before Clementia can beat him to it. “M-Miss Clementia was j-just tellin’ me about my big brother… I miss him s-so much.”

“... Of course,” Clementia goes along with his excuse, aware of how easily Flug can get her into trouble. “Poor baby looked so skittish, I thought I’d comfort him with some stories about his big brother.”

White Hat _beams,_ completely believing the lie. “I’m so glad you’re getting along! I know we’re in a difficult situation, but I’m sure that with enough time and effort on everyone’s part, we’ll all start feeling like a big, happy family again! And once Samuel is home, everything will be as it should!” With that, the superhero makes for the door. However, he pauses in the doorway, noticing how Clementia isn’t following him. “Clementia? Darling? We should really let the poor boy sleep.”

Clementia hesitates, glancing between White Hat and Flug. “Nightie night, miss Clementia!” Flug offers, having to physically restrain himself from saying it in a mocking tone, no matter how badly he wants to.

Again, there’s hesitation, but finally, after sending Flug a look that would traumatize a lesser man, Clementia leaves with White Hat. Once the two heroes are gone, Flug sighs, relieved that they’re gone. It felt good to mock one of those lousy capes, especially after all they’ve done to him, but he’s going to have to be more careful if he wants to get out of this in one piece… and that means less teasing and more plotting. Flug’s thoughts are interrupted by a loud, lion-like yawn from his mouth, causing the young man to blush. Okay, so maybe he _is_ pretty tired… it’s morning, but considering how hectic his night has been, Flug sees no harm in getting some more sleep. After shutting off the lights, he tucks himself into his brother’s bed, feeling safer once he smells the familiar scent. It’s nothing like his nursery, but it will have to do for now.

Cuddling the stuffed wolf to his chest, Flug closes his eyes and falls asleep, and if he silently wishes that he would wake up back home, then it’s his secret to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, you thought Slug was the devious one? Flug might be a little more innocent in this AU than he is in canon, but he’s still a villain, and he’s not about to go down without causing his fair share of mayhem! Yeah, this is definitely going to be a five parter (hopefully not more than that) so I hope you’re all ready for what’s coming next! After this fic is done, I’ve got some more light-hearted one-shots planned, and I’m so excited for them! Have a good night!


	4. to know your enemies is to know yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The horror of having his child kidnapped weighs heavy on Black Hat's shoulders, and the demon struggles to keep himself from falling apart at the seams. Juggling between comforting his employees and interrogating his new prisoner, Black Hat longs to reunite with his son, all while Slug begins to finally understand what exactly the relationship between his brother and Black Hat is like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was supposed to be one part turned into the entire fucking chapter… goddamn, this fic is getting so much longer than intended. But I will not give up! This will get done! Even if it means my freaking hands hurt… RIP.
> 
> ((Edited on June 25th, 2019. I have nothing to really put here, lmao.))

All things considered, Black Hat is, typically, prepared for almost any situation. For the last several centuries, Black Hat has remained the most feared villain to ever live, and while he recently retired only a handful of years ago, he’s remained number one and undefeated. It also helps that Black Hat keeps himself in the community’s eyes by supplying anyone with enough money with a variety of doomsday devices, something he’s more than a little proud of. In all honesty, Black Hat had planned on having a calm and quiet retirement, secluded from the rest of the wannabe villains and heroes, but after recruiting Dr. Flug Slys, well… suddenly, retirement was beyond boring, and the idea of outfitting other villains was too promising to pass up.

It had been Flug’s idea to start up the organization. Before then, there had indeed been a _‘Black Hat Organization’,_ but it had been nothing more than a counsel of villains that determined the fates of lesser villains that did anything that the counsel didn’t approve of. It had been disbanded and reunited countless times, until Black Hat himself, as the counsel’s director/founder, had permanently disbanded the group, as he’d grown tired of arguing with other, less important villains. Really, it was dumb luck that Flug, while organizing Black Hat’s paperwork for him, had come across documentation of the organization, and he’d suggested starting it up again. Black Hat had, of course, rejected the idea. That is, until Flug elaborated on his plan.

_“Th-That’s not what I m-meant, señor!” Flug had insisted, voice unbelievably jittery. To be fair, at that point in time he’d only been working for Black Hat for a little over a week, not to mention he was only sixteen years old at the time; not that Black Hat knew that second part just yet, but still. “On the c-contrary, have you considered rebranding the organization as a, um… club? L-Like a subscription? Y-You could offer members e-exclusive accessibility to your d-doomsday devices and other such, um, luxuries! Although you are indeed, er, r-retired, everyone still f-fears you! They respect you! I-If you did this, e-everyone and their m-mothers would come running to j-join!”_

After the two men had tossed ideas between each other, Black Hat had agreed to at least consider the idea. Come a month later, and the organization was launched as intended; anyone willing to not only pay for the services Black Hat’s organization provided, but swear their undying allegiance by offering their soul to Black Hat, would be given access to anything the company created, so long as they were also willing to assist the organization in the event of an unforeseen, surprise superhero attack. Sure, it took several fights with lesser villains and endless hours of negotiating, but fairly soon, Black Hat was more or less back on the _‘hero vs villain’_ scene, and was more powerful than ever before! And, shamefully enough, he had his rookie of a new hire to thank for it.

“And now you’re _gone…”_ Black Hat murmurs, painfully aware that this is the present. More than two years have passed since then, and so much has changed, not the least of which being the evolution of his and Flug’s… _relationship?_ Is that the word? Flug would probably know how to describe it more accurately. “By God, mi hijo… where are you when I need you?” He asks himself, even when he knows exactly where Flug is; with his good-for-nothing twin brother!

Black Hat’s lip curls in anger at the thought of his bastard of a brother, equal parts frustrated with the situation and worried for his beloved niño. While Black Hat knows his goody two shoes brother has been on some kind of _‘pacifism’_ kick lately, the demon remembers a time where his fellow villains sobbed at the thought of crossing paths with the caped crusader. Even if White Hat labeled himself as a _‘hero for the people’,_ his violence towards those who dared to call themselves _‘villains’_ was overwhelming, and he more than once overdid it when it came to crime stopping, hospitalizing tens of hundreds of heroes a month, and that was if he was feeling _merciful!_ Black Hat can’t remember how many funerals he's attended because of his brother, but he knows it's far too many.

And now, despite the best security in the world, the highest level of intimidation, and an armory that would make the united states military jealous… his mansion got broken into. Even worse, the thieves took something worth more than all the money and treasures Black Hat has collected over the years; his only source of happiness. He wouldn’t say he was suicidal or anything before he crossed paths with Flug, but his life certainly wasn’t exciting anymore. After all, Black Hat’s done everything he can think of. He’s loved, fucked, killed, conquered… but in the end, he’s always found himself alone. Sure, Demencia showed up on his doorstep and offered him companionship, but she was _far_ from being the first. They all leave eventually, one way or another; whether in a casket or by their own accord, they all leave Black Hat behind.

Despite popular opinion, Black Hat indeed gets lonely. He gets _depressed._ Having Demencia around certainly made things interesting for awhile, to say otherwise would be foolish, but soon enough he was down again. Then one day, some wiry framed little bastard wearing a paper bag on his head appeared on his doorstep, and, well… things just _happened._ They formed an organization, became more powerful, and Black Hat, all too suddenly, wasn’t alone anymore. He’s had villains visiting him constantly to check on projects, he has three roommates that cause mayhem wherever they go, and for the first time in several hundred years… Black Hat is _happy._ But now, all of that has been uprooted, and the very person who’s played such a key role in rekindling Black Hat’s spirit has been snatched away from him, leaving the demon overwhelmingly lost, and hellbent on destroying everything that stands between him and his adopted offspring.

 _“Likely starting with that insufferable chucho…”_ Black Hat thinks, trying to get his brain back on track. God, he’s so tired; he could use something to eat, but he can’t even imagine consuming food without knowing his niño has eaten first… he really _has_ changed, hasn’t he? Black Hat is no longer that vicious monster that wrecked everything before him, with little to no care for others… because now he cares, and it fucking _hurts._

Quite suddenly, a knock raps against the door, causing Black Hat to flinch. The demon internally cusses, hating himself for being so unlike himself without his scientist present. When did he become so dependent on the little whelp? It feels so sudden. “Come in.” Black Hat manages to say, subtly dusting himself off; can’t look unnerved in front of his remaining employees.

Unsurprisingly, it’s Demencia that enters. Seeing as 505 is out of commission- he’s been out cold in the infirmary, wired up to enough equipment that he won’t be up and about again for several hours at least- Black Hat isn’t sure why he expected it to be anyone else. “Um… hello, señor,” Demencia greets, sounding almost… _skittish?_ That’s very out of character for the woman Black Hat has only known to be wild and unhinged. “Can I, um… talk with you? For a bit? I don’t want to be… _alone_ right now.” She sounds so hesitant… it’s unbelievably unsettling.

Even so, Black Hat isn’t one to show his anxiety. He gives her a swift nod, clapping his hands to shut the door once she’s inside his office. Together, the two villains sit in front of the fireplace. Demencia automatically goes for the loveseat, and gives her boss a nervous glance. Hesitantly, Black Hat sits beside her, although he would’ve much preferred his armchair, but seeing as they’ve both just survived a crisis, and are down a member, Black Hat’s willing to give up a dash of his own comfort in an attempt to be there for his employee. Despite having lived together for almost a decade, it’s rare that the two villains interact much, as Black Hat prefers his personal space and Demencia prefers partying into the early morning hours. Being such opposites, it’s exceptionally rare that they enjoy each other’s company, but right now, given the situation… it’s necessary.

“I understand that you may feel… _upset,_ about what’s happened,” Black Hat visibly struggles with his words, something he detests with every fiber of his being. It’s so much easier to talk to his hijo about feelings, but when it comes to comforting someone else? He’s clueless. “But understand that I am also… _struggling,_ and we will get through this. Together.”

Demencia meets Black Hat’s eyes, and where the demon typically sees a gross amount of infatuation directed at himself, he sees _anxiety. Fear. Conflict._ It’s almost jolting, to see such a thing from his resident hitman. “I know we will, señor, but… I _miss_ him. I miss mi hermano pequeño.” Demencia explains, her gaze downcast.

Black Hat has to physically restrain himself from reacting, as he hadn’t truly realized how Demencia felt about his hijo. Before the demon had grown closer to Flug, the scientist and Demencia had been like rivals- if not enemies- constantly going at it in a futile attempt to deal with each other’s presences in the mansion. To Flug, Demencia was loud, boisterous, mean, and overbearingly pesterous. To Demencia, Flug was dorky, introverted, snide, and incredibly annoying. Black Hat can’t _count_ how many times he’s been forced to intervene in their endless arguments, typically caused by one or the other unintentionally instigating a fight. But ever since Flug officially became Black Hat’s bebé… they became _gentler.  
_

Not entirely gentle, mind you, but Black Hat certainly noticed a difference in their behavior towards one another… he just didn’t think it was this _deep._ Well, now he knows better, and it’s all the more fuel to the fire that is Black Hat’s growing hatred of his niño’s kidnapper. “We’ll get him back,” Eventually, Black Hat remembers to respond to Demencia’s confession, at last breaking out of his incessant daydreaming. “It will be hard, and it may take time, but we will get him back… in the meantime, we must keep the prisoner alive. Lord knows White Hat won’t be happy if his property is damaged…”

Demencia suddenly ducks her heads, appearing sheepish. Black Hat’s immediately suspicious, finding her behavior odd, even considering the circumstances. “Demencia, my dear… you didn’t _kill_ that little chucho, did you?” Black Hat asks, tone tentative. If she actually fucking _maimed_ that little bastard… yeah, the negotiation for Flug is going to be _much_ harder.

“I didn’t _kill_ him,” Demencia admits, though her tone isn’t exactly inspiring. “But I _may_ have, totally accidentally, pummeled him a little? But only a little! He deserved it!”

Black Hat lets out a long, tortured exhale. It’s times like these that he wonders why he let's his employees anywhere near his occasional prisoners; they always go too far! Hell, even _Flug’s_ been scolded before for overdoing it with torture, and that’s something Black Hat _never_ thought possible! “Demencia, my dear, my beloved,” Although he isn’t one for affectionate terms of endearment (save of course for his bebé), Black Hat will at times slip into using them when frustrated and right on the cusp of losing his shit. It’s a telltale sign to book it. “When I tell you _not_ to torture our prisoners… I _mean it._ I understand that this particular prisoner has committed a heinous crime against our family, however-”

“-We’re a _family?”_ Aw, _fuck._ The look of absolutely loving, _giddy_ joy in Demencia’s eyes… if Black Hat weren’t already emotionally compromised, he’d consider slapping that look right off her face. “Oh, _Black Hat~!”_

And, of course, she kisses him. It’s not entirely unexpected, and Black Hat’s blocked her attempts at kissing him before with even less warning, but… considering how upset she still probably is, Black Hat let’s her get away with it, just this once, although he certainly doesn’t kiss her back. It’s not that Demencia isn’t attractive- he’s evil, not _blind-_ it’s just that Black Hat would never even _consider_ a relationship with her. Oh sure, he’s been around the block more times than he can count- and crossed the street, if you catch his meaning- and even been romantically involved with a handful of people, but in all honesty, Black Hat _hates_ being in relationships. They always end badly- whether in death or separation- and he’s done with going through that type of bullshit. Besides, Demencia isn’t exactly his _type…_ he prefers men as his partners, especially if they have horns!

“Alright, _alright…_ enough of that!” Black Hat orders, pushing Demencia away after a few seconds of kissing. “Now that you seem to be in better spirits… I must attend to our prisoner.”

 _“Aw…_ okay,” Demencia sounds disappointed, clearly having wanted to take things further. How far, Black Hat can’t tell, but he knows leading her on won’t help anyone, especially not her in the long run. “Well, if you’re gonna go down there, just know he peed himself.”

“He _what?”_ That catches Black Hat _entirely_ off guard; if he’d been drinking something, he knows he would’ve spit it out. “When did he soil himself?”

“How should I know? He smelled like pee when I walked by his cell on my way here,” Demencia explains, shrugging it off. She isn’t as concerned about it as her boss, still too angry to care about the prisoner. “Why do you even care? It’s not like that jerk deserves any forgiveness!”

“I only _‘care’_ because my brother might hurt Flug if his chucho is damaged!” Black Hat says, clearing the issue up; he doesn’t want Demencia thinking he actually _gives a shit_ about the worthless little bastard! “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check on our… _guest.”_ He makes a beeline for the door, intent on ending the conversation already.

“Wait!” Demencia requests. She waits to speak again until Black Hat has stopped, turning to look at her. “I, um… do you think Flug’s okay? All by himself? You know he’s all…” She waves her hand, unsure of how to explain it. “Jumpy.” She decides, though even _that_ doesn’t sound quite right to her.

Black Hat manages a chuckle, before offering Demencia a wicked smirk. “This is _Flug Slys_ we’re talking about… the same boy who’s made superheroes quake with fear when they’re placed in his hands for experimentation! Although I doubt he’s happy, I’m certain that our little scientist is giving his captors hell!”

That gets a smile out of Demencia, who quietly nods in agreement. “Yeah, you’re right… thank you, señor Black Hat. I really needed to hear that.”

Black Hat smiles as well, secretly thrilled that he managed to make things better, despite having a penchant for only making situations worse. “You’re welcome, my dear.” He says, before finally exiting his office. While he might have Demencia and 505 under control, Black Hat knows his troubles are far from over… he has a troublesome hero to tend to, whether he likes it or not.

…

Walking into the cell, Black Hat immediately realizes that Demencia was right; Slug _definitely_ pissed himself. The room reeks of urine, although Black Hat doubts he’s been wet for very long. As Black Hat turns on the lights, he looks his prisoner over, internally wincing at the sight. The young man absolutely _soaked_ his jeans, and an impressively large puddle has formed below his feet, which are still elevated off the floor. Slug’s chained to the wall medieval style- Black Hat would have preferred hanging him upside down, but he figures his brother wouldn’t like that- but it seems he’s fallen asleep, his head hung forward, no signs of being anything close to awake. Every so often he murmurs in his sleep, but otherwise he’s gone completely silent.

 _“Not for long,”_ Black Hat thinks, hating that he has to interact with the brat, but he needs answers… not only does he need to check on the damn brat, but he wants to figure out why Slug accused him of such… _heinous things_ earlier! It was so uncalled for, so _disgusting!_ However, Black Hat knows the accusations had to have come from _somewhere,_ and he’s intent on finding out where. “Come on, wake up,” The villain orders, coming to stand in front of the skinny bastard. He grabs him by the torso, his grip loose- Slug's ribs are still broken, after all- before he gives his prisoner’s body a gentle shake. “Get up already… come on, we haven’t got all night!” He snaps, beginning to lose his patience.

“Ugh… _dad?”_ Slowly, Slug comes to, voice groggy and disoriented. The man squirms, unused to the hands on his body. “Dad, what’s… what’re you _doing?_ Dad?” Soon, he seems to recover, and immediately the hero yelps, eyes wide in horror once he realizes who’s with him. “What the _fuck!?_ Get off of me, you fucking _pervert!”_

Black Hat obeys, though certainly not out of kindness. He scowls viciously at the superhero in front of him, feeling the desire to slap him, but he restrains himself… even if it _is_ tempting to smack some sense into the little bastard. “Enough! I will hear no more of these _baseless_ accusations!”

“Baseless!?” Slug is clearly offended, unafraid to glare right back at Black Hat. He’s got guts, that much is obvious. “Motherfucker, you dress my little brother like a freaking _baby!_ What else am I supposed to _think?_ Pervy old men aren’t exactly a rare occurrence in this business.”

“Why, you _little…”_ Black Hat growls, feeling all kinds of furious. He oughta rip this kid’s tongue out for even _suggesting_ such a thing! However… even _he_ knows that Slug has a point. After all, Black Hat recalls a time where he too was fiercely protective of his own brother, so he can sort of understand where this guy is coming from… even if it _is_ a horrifying accusation. The demon lets out a long, tortured sigh. He knows he needs to clear the air, or else he’s never going to hear the end of it. “Listen to me _very_ carefully, chucho; I would never, in a thousand years, even _imagine_ doing anything inappropriate to your brother! Understand? There's been a misunderstanding.”

“Prove it,” Slug is all moxie, still unconvinced of this monster’s innocence. “You want me to believe you aren’t grooming my little brother? Then tell me what’s really going on. I’ll admit, I think I’m beginning to figure it out… but I’m a big brother; it's in my nature to worry about my little brother. Please, just… fill me in. Tell me what it is you two are doing.”

There’s a long pause. Black Hat paces for a few minutes, thinking his explanation over very carefully. Out of frustration, he summons his armchair and sits down; he does better when he’s allowed to sit. Flug says it’s because he’s getting old, but… okay, yeah, he’s getting old. Sue him, he’ll win. Snapping out of it, Black Hat meets Slug’s eyes, glancing into the man’s soul. He rarely soul gazes, as his brother has always been better at it, but Black Hat wants to fully understand his prisoner’s intentions before he shares such… _personal information_ with him. It takes a bit of forceful staring, as it seems Slug isn’t the type to open up- he might also know about White Hat’s tendency to soul gaze- but he eventually sees the scientist in all his glory, and goddamn… Black Hat sees _fire._

More accurately, he sees _pain. Suffering._ He sees a helpless child, beaten and abandoned by almost everyone he’s ever met. Anyone who didn’t beat him abandoned him, or in Flug’s case, Slug abandoned him first. _Couldn’t imagine him getting hurt because of me._ Unwillingly, Black Hat looks for a bit too long, and begins seeing a few memories. They’re a bit blurry, as Black Hat isn’t exactly experienced with this particular power, but he gets an eyeful of Slug’s life nonetheless. He sees a few prison breaks- could’ve been an amazing villain, if he had gotten better contacts while he was a kid- alongside his first meeting with White Hat. Upon witnessing his brother from someone else’s eyes- _glowing, warm, loving-_ Black Hat blinks, grunting in pain as his eyes water. Fuck, he’s really out of practice.

 _“Never_ fucking do that again,” Slug warns, his own eyes watering. Unfortunately, he couldn’t break the soul gaze himself, as Black Hat was in control. The scientist scowls even harder at the demon, upset that he intruded on his memories. “I already get it enough at home.”

“I’m sure… you do…” Black Hat wheezes, hating the side effects. There’s a _reason_ he doesn’t soul gaze very often, and it’s because it makes him… _embarrassingly_ emotional. “However, I needed to see if you were truly… a _good_ man,” He isn’t sure why he words it that way. After all, Black Hat is _far_ from good, but he felt it necessary to see if his opponent truly loves his little brother. And now he sees, in no uncertain terms, that he does. _Goddamn,_ does he love him. Now _there’s_ a soul that would perish for another. It reminds Black Hat of his once close relationship with his twin, but he quickly stomps that thought out of existence. No, he’s _never_ loving that insufferable bastard again! Not in a _million years!_ “Now that I know you’re to be trusted, I feel that I can… _explain_ myself.” Black Hat finally begins to open up… no matter _how_ embarrassing it is to say out loud.

“When I first employed your younger brother, he was sixteen years of age. In the years of an immortal, that’s barely older than a newborn. However, I know human age is different to our own, so I obliged and allowed him to work for me, even allowing him to stay in my mansion,” Black Hat feels… _abstract,_ as he tells his story. He’s never actually _talked_ about any of this before. Not to Flug, not to Demencia, and _certainly_ not to 505! To just… _tell someone,_ a superhero no less, is strange to say the least. “I fully expected him to be just another lackey, but to my utter surprise, your brother exceeded my expectations, and even assisted in getting my organization off the ground, providing crucial advice and ideas.

“In good time, we began to bond. Where I once loathed the boy’s presence, I began to feel… _conflicted._ It was as if I couldn’t hate him how I once did. However, when I decided to act on my newfound feelings, I reacted… _harshly._ Too harshly. You see, your brother, he’s… _driven,_ to say the least. He craves my attention, my approval. He overworked himself nearly every day, until I finally lost my patience and took him in hand. I’m aware that humans refer to it as _spanking,_ however seeing as I used a hairbrush, I believe the proper term is _paddling._ Either way, I punished him rather severely, and he was a mess once I was finished. For the first time in many, many years, I felt… guilty. _Remorseful._ This was a very uncommon feeling for me.

“Out of this newfound guilt, I comforted him afterwards. Hell, I even apologized for being so harsh! Afterwards, I continued to spank him for his misdeeds, but much less severely… but we were caught. Well, more accurately, one of my other employees eavesdropped, and she pestered the boy about it. Needless to say, he didn’t take it well, and after many incidents, we finally came to a… _compromise._ While Flug is still my lead scientist and regularly invents new gadgets for my organization, when he is feeling overworked, I have decided to… look after him. I understand that how I treat him is unorthodox, but it works for us. He might fuss every so often still, but I know mi hijo likes what I’ve built up for him.

“Now, you’re free to be angry; I understand. However, please note that it is entirely nonsexual, and I would never even _imagine_ doing anything inappropriate to your brother when he is… so _young._ My only request is that you do not shame your brother, the next time you see him. He’s very self conscious about our relationship, and I can’t imagine he’ll be happy when he finds out that you know.” Black Hat has to take a few seconds to catch his breath, once he’s done speaking. He feels like he just dumped all his dirty laundry on the floor, and he’s silently hoping the man before him won’t overreact to it. Was this how Flug felt when he told Black Hat of his past trauma? The demon sure as hell hopes not, because this _sucks!_

The silence sustains for an uncomfortable amount of time, Slug not meeting Black Hat’s eyes, staring instead at the floor. Well, at least he’s not screaming obscenities at him! That’s a good start! “So… yeah, your relationship with Flug is… _weird._ But not _unheard of,”_ It’s Slug’s turn to hesitate this time, eyes flickering around the room, until very hesitantly, they settle on Black Hat. “You see, White Hat and I… we do the same thing. It’s called _Age-Sliding,”_ The boy sighs, uncomfortable, but he continues speaking for the sake of educating his captor. “At first I didn’t like it either, but because of all the bullshit my parents put me through, I eventually warmed up to the idea of White Hat… _caring_ for me. It makes me feel _safe,_ and that’s something I almost _never_ feel.”

Black Hat’s eyes widen, interested by the admission. “And here I thought we were the only ones… are you as young as Flug?” He feels the need to ask questions, too curious not to.

“Depends… how old is Flug?” Slug asks, genuinely curious as well. It seems he’s never met anyone with a relationship like his either. “‘Cus I’m anywhere from three to eleven, but I typically average around six or seven.”

“He’s a bebé,” Black Hat says, as he’s pretty sure that’s the case. After all, when Flug isn’t _‘Age-Sliding’,_ he acts as he usually does, but when he _is_ that young? He barely talks, and even when he does it’s messy, his voice even quieter than usual. He also doesn’t have much control of his bladder/bowels, almost always wetting himself when he’s that small. “Are you at all toilet trained?” He asks another question, interested in hearing Slug's answer.

“As an adult? Of _fucking_ course,” Even while having a very personal conversation, Slug reverts to foul language; Black Hat can relate. “But as a kid, it again depends. Sometimes I’m fine, but otherwise I usually wear pull-ups,” When Black Hat just tilts his head at him, Slug sighs, too tired to deal with this shit. “They’re diapers, but for kids that are toilet training. You can take it off without needing a replacement.” He very notably leaves out the fact that he almost always wears them, even when out of headspace. Slug blames his near-incontinence on the stress.

“I see… _interesting._ Flug doesn’t seem to have _any_ control when he’s… _young.”_ Black Hat admits, getting up and pacing again. He can’t bring himself to sit still anymore, too mentally aware and active.

“Headspace,” Slug corrects. Again, Black Hat appears confused, so Slug elaborates. “When Flug is acting like a little kid? I usually refer to that as _‘being in headspace’_ or _‘being little’._ I’ve done a bit of research into this stuff, and it’s an actual thing. It’s still pretty uncommon, and it’s pretty looked down upon, but it’s an actual mental disorder. Just… don’t ever take him anywhere when he’s in headspace, okay? Don’t need him getting traumatized… _again.”_ Out of discomfort- it’s unclear whether it’s because of the subject matter or his soaked trousers. Probably a combination of both- Slug begins to squirm, reminding Black Hat of why he came to check on his prisoner in the first place.

“You’re soaking wet.” Black Hat points out, unabashedly staring at Slug’s crotch. He isn’t quite aware of how humiliating that is for humans.

“Yeah, no fucking shit,” Slug gripes, unimpressed with Black Hat’s staring. Embarrassed, Slug crosses his legs, feeling dangerously close to slipping into his own little headspace. “Look, can I just, uh… clean up? I know I’m your prisoner, but I’m getting pretty close to sliding from being in wet pants, so… _yeah.”_ It’s so weird, explaining his condition, but Slug hopes that the threat of dealing with a kid that isn’t his own will convince Black Hat to be lenient.

It works like a charm. Black Hat coughs into his fist, looking away to avoid Slug’s gaze. “Y-Yes, it seems you’ve… indeed urinated yourself. I suppose I can allow you to wash up, if only to avoid my brother’s rage.” Is he _blushing?_ Black Hat’s skin tints green across his cheeks, something that intrigues the trapped scientist. When White Hat’s embarrassed, he blushes blue. Does that mean they don’t have the same blood color? Are they even _related?_ If Slug weren’t in such a compromised position, he’d be tempted to try and get a blood sample from Black Hat, but he has a feeling that Black Hat wouldn’t give him one, even if he _wasn’t_ his prisoner. White Hat certainly didn’t like it when Slug took some of his blood, though to be fair it was taken without his knowledge… as expected for his misbehavior, Slug got a pretty hard spanking for that one.

While distracted by his thoughts, Slug hardly registers Black Hat snapping his fingers, which cause the man’s chains to disappear into thin air. However, Slug is most certainly brought back to his senses when he collapses to the floor, as the chains holding him aren't there to keep him upright. The young man huffs, frustrated that he wasn’t paying attention, but he brushes it off and stands, giving Black Hat a wary look when he’s not immediately attacked or grabbed. The villain meets his gaze for all of a few seconds, before turning around and walking out the door. He leaves it open. Tentatively, Slug follows after him, aware that he’s being tested to some degree. It’s tempting, to perhaps try and make a break for it, but Slug’s no fool; he knows he won’t get very far. Seeing as that’s the case, he decides on playing nice, at least for the time being.

Even if Black Hat isn’t really assaulting Flug- something Slug is still, at least a little, skeptical of- the demon has admitted to hitting him, and for that, Slug still hates him. It doesn’t _matter_ that White Hat’s put Slug over his knee more times than he can count; Slug doesn’t want Flug to receive the same treatment. Following Black Hat upstairs, Slug gives the mansion a second once over. While it’s still a gloomy, haunted abode, Slug will admit that he digs the aesthetic. It reminds him of his bedroom back home. Still, he doesn’t dare wander off, keeping close to Black Hat as the demon takes him to what he hopes is the bathroom. This is proven right a moment later, with Black Hat opening the door to a pristine restroom, complete with a full shower and bath. The villain gestures at the bathtub, silently ordering Slug to walk inside the room.

Slug obeys, if only because he honest to god just wants to get clean; he also hopes that following orders will keep Black Hat on his good side. “The shower works like any other, so I’m not about to walk you through this,” Black Hat explains, all business. “And don’t expect me to bathe you; I don’t _care_ how close you are to _‘sliding’;_ If you were old enough to walk here, you’re old enough to clean yourself. I’ll return in an hour’s time. If you’re not clean by then, there will be consequences, not the least of which being you’ll be restricted from washing up for the rest of your imprisonment.” With that said, Black Hat slams the door in Slug’s face. The telltale sound of a lock clicking into place insuring Slug will be here until the villain let's him out.

Huffing, Slug does as told, washing up in the shower as fast as physically possible. It doesn’t take a genius to get the shower working- it’s hauntingly similar to the ones back home- and Slug makes quick work of scrubbing himself down, focusing mainly on his thighs and privates. Miraculously, he hasn’t contracted a rash, but he still feels the need to scrub especially hard, not wanting that terrible, cold, sticky feeling on his legs anymore. Once he’s done, Slug exits the shower, finding a few towels stashed under the sink. He snatches one such towel, wrapping himself up in it, making him look like an oversized bat. Slug hums, satisfied now that he’s clean and relatively dry; it’s ridiculous how much a shower can make someone feel better… he just hopes he'll get some clothes soon.

After awhile, Black Hat returns, opening the door without warning. Slug jumps, but he’s thankfully covered, so it’s not like the demon gets an eyeful of his privates or anything. There’s an elongated, awkward pause, before Black Hat holds up a stacked pile of clothing. “Here,” The demon offers, walking inside despite the fact that Slug’s still _fucking naked._ “Seeing as you’re bigger than your brother and smaller than myself, I borrowed some clothing from Demencia… she told me to tell you that she doesn’t want these back.”

“... _Seriously?”_ Slug can’t help but ask as he begins to look through the clothing, especially hesitant about the bright purple T-shirt that reads _‘Meow Wow’_ in obnoxiously bubbly font, even coming with a stupid looking cat as the additional design. It looks like something Clementia would wear. “Are you _sure_ I can’t just wear my little bro’s clothes?”

“Like I said, he’s smaller than you. Be thankful I don’t make you redress in your wet clothing.” Black Hat snaps, not at all amused by Slug’s ungratefulness.

“Look, I’ve got some clothes stashed in one of your storage closets; it’s the one closest to the backdoor,” Slug explains, hoping to avoid wearing Demencia's clothes. “Not only is it my official uniform, but it’ll make it so I don’t have to take your employee’s clothes. That sound good?”

Black Hat huffs, but obliges. He takes the clothes he brought with him when he exits the room, leaving Slug alone again. He’s back within a few minutes, and just as Slug hoped, he has his uniform. Swiftly and silently, Slug throws on his clothing, not bothering to try arguing with Black Hat to get him to leave; he’s already annoyed, no need to make things worse. Once dressed, Slug turns around (as he’d turned his back on Black Hat), only to see the villain’s eyes roaming over him. There’s no… _lust_ in his eyes, but that only unnerves Slug more. Subconsciously, the hero glances down at himself; yep, there’s no obvious stains on his clothes, and nothing's inside-out, so why the hell is Black Hat _staring_ at him!?

“Um… got something to say?” Slug inquires, unable to stand Black Hat’s eyes on him anymore. It makes him feel like a circus sideshow, something he felt far too often both during his childhood and in prison.

Black Hat flinches, at least a bit, before straightening his posture. “My apologizes, it’s just… your outfit seems more fitting of a _villain,_ wouldn’t you agree?”

Slug again looks himself over, and yeah, the bastard’s got a point. “Yeah, um… I guess so…” He trails off, uncomfortable. “Designed this back when I was, uh, trying to become a… a villain.”

“You’re interested in becoming a _villain?”_ Black Hat asks, almost sounding… _excited?_ Is he considering hiring him?

 _“Was._ Not anymore,” Slug insists, even if a younger version of himself would _die_ to be given a job by the infamous Black Hat. “Sorry, but… I promised my boss I would be better. For him.”

“Better is overrated,” Black Hat is unimpressed by Slug’s explanation, but he doesn’t press the issue. “Now that you’re clean and dressed, we can move on. Follow me.” Possibly to bury the earlier conversation, the villain opens the door, and taking hold of Slug’s arm, begins leading him out of the bathroom.

Slug bites down on an embarrassing whimper when Black Hat grabs him, but he otherwise doesn’t fuss. Unfortunately for him, this hold is all too familiar, and he’s hit with a sudden feeling of unwanted nostalgia. He remembers White Hat more than once holding him like this, dragging him off to be punished in a more private setting. Of course, after Clementia discovered their _‘relationship’,_ White Hat had little reservations against spanking Slug in a more public spot. Whether it was the kitchen, the living room, or even his own lab, Slug found himself going over his boss’s lap on several occasions. The logical part of his brain wants to assure him that Black Hat wouldn’t spank him, but seeing as the demon takes no issue in spanking his little brother… Slug shivers anxiously at the thought.

However, that thought is soon given less reasons to be true, as Slug realizes that he’s not being led into the basement after all. Instead, he’s taken up a flight of stairs, much to the prisoner’s surprise. Where are they _going?_ Slug has no clue, as up until now he was convinced Black Hat was going to torture him again. Does Black Hat want to do it upstairs instead? Is he going to make a show out of hitting him? Although he was feeling fine a few seconds ago, Slug’s afraid that he’s beginning to slide into a younger headspace, as he’s growing incredibly anxious. Just as he’s beginning to feel it, a door opens, and Slug is unceremoniously shoved through a doorway. The young scientist immediately looks around, confused even more once he recognizes this to be a bedroom. But more importantly, it looks like a room his little brother would like.

The walls are absolutely _covered_ in posters and drawings, with airplanes and indie bands being the main themes. The carpet is littered with unfinished gadgets, tiny metal bits from unfinished model airplane parts, and a few miscellaneous stuffed animals. Slug raises an eyebrow at the mess, surprised Black Hat has let it get this bad if he’s really as strict of a parent as he comes off as. Maybe it’s because Flug mainly sleeps in the nursery nowadays? Perhaps, but Slug knows that if his room looked even a _fraction_ as messy as this, White Hat would whoop his ass the minute he saw it. Shaking his head, Slug forces himself to glance over his shoulder at Black Hat, who’s still standing in the doorway of the room, staring at him. The villain pointedly doesn’t look at the bedroom itself, something Slug notices right away.

“Until further notice, you are to stay in here,” Black Hat explains, appearing almost… _depressed._ He must _really_ miss Flug, as weird as that is for Slug to accept. “Hopefully my brother will contact me soon… in the meantime, I expect you to behave accordingly. I will _not_ spank you, as that is reserved for mi hijo, but I will _not hesitate_ to beat you if you try and act out, whether that is by back-talking, constructing weapons, or otherwise attempting to escape. Staying in here is a _privilege,_ and I can just as easily take it away and lock you up in the basement again. I suggest you rest for the time being; I will return later with something for you to eat, so that you do not fall ill or perish.”

That said, Black Hat leaves, again locking Slug inside while unsupervised. The hero sighs to himself, feeling quite exhausted. While this is much better than being hung against the wall, Slug can’t say he appreciates his surroundings all that much, as they remind him far too much of his missing brother. Giving the room another once over, Slug stubbornly rolls up his sleeves, the mess in front of him appearing horrendous, but doable, given enough time and commitment. Although it doesn’t appear that Flug’s gotten in trouble for it yet, Slug’s intent on keeping his brother out of harm’s way as much as possible. And hell, if that means cleaning the little shit’s room just so he doesn’t get spanked by his new father… then it’s what Slug will do. Swallowing his pride, the young man begins to clean, losing himself to the task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, so much longer than intended, but I liked writing this all out! Next chapter should be how White Hat/Flug are doing, then the exchange, and then an epilogue for the finale! (NOTE: the series won’t end here, I just wanted to do something big to introduce the Heroic crew!) Big warning; I’m going to be out of commission for a few days, as I’m going to be doing some personal stuff with my family! As this is the case, I’ll probably be busy for awhile, so the next update might take a few days, maybe even a week! I know you guys are used to quick updates from me, so I’m sorry to be gone for a bit, but I’ll be back really soon! Love you all, and thank you for reading!


	5. brothers, forever and always

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> White Hat isn't taking the loss of his kid much better than Black Hat, but in the midst of his grief, he goes overboard when dealing with Flug. Once away from the superhero, Flug tries to get back in contact with his team, but along the way he learns something soul shattering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry this took so long, y’all! You would not Believe the week I’ve had; so busy! As much as I’d love to talk about it, I’m worried about people figuring out who I am (I’m not Super prevalent in the fandom but I’m on Tumblr and I occasionally make posts), so I’ll just let my writing vent about it for me! I’ll be adding more world building notes again at the end of this chapter (as well as adding some to the chapters that don’t have them, so check in for those later), so enjoy, and see you there!
> 
> ((Edited on July 1st, 2019. Rereading this, I remember that when I first wrote this chapter that I wasn't really planning anything big down the line for the Heroic crew, but now... well, look at "Taming a Stray" if you want more of these dumbasses.))

Morning- or rather, afternoon- comes much sooner than White Hat would like. He wakes up feeling chilled to the bone, as if he’d slept without any blankets on. Glancing down at himself, he sees that this isn’t the case… so why does he feel so _cold?_ “Samuel, my boy, did you forget to-” The demon cuts himself off mid sentence, as when he turns to talk to his adopted child, he finds the bed empty.

At first, White Hat is filled with a fear like no other, but it soon wanes when reality sets back in. Right, last night they went and… _right._ Nausea fills the creature’s insides almost immediately, the loss of his son overwhelming. How had he forgotten so _soon?_ Getting out of bed, White Hat glances around his bedroom, wishing more than anything for Slug to crawl out from behind/under something and scare him, as he so often loves to do, or walk into the room and reassure his father of his safety. But no, White Hat gets no such luxuries. Instead, he’s faced with the reality that Slug isn't coming home anytime soon… he may never come home at all. The hero shakes his head, scolding himself. His brother isn’t _that_ stupid; he wouldn’t kill a hostage, not when his opponent has one of his own people in their custody.

Speaking of which… exhaling with a bone-deep exhaustion, White Hat is enveloped in a dusty mist, and quickly he finds himself in Slug’s bedroom. It takes an admirable amount of self-restraint for White Hat not to grow irritated when he sees the state of Slug’s bedroom. To say a whirlwind blew through would be an understatement; the floor is littered with Slug’s belongings, mostly being a handful of his son's headspace toys and items, miscellaneous mechanical parts that have _no business_ being in here of all places, weapons White Hat never even _knew_ _about-_ he’s going to need to talk to Slug about that once he’s home- and a few things he can’t identify. Thankfully, Slug’s little brother isn’t immersed in the actual mess itself. Instead, he’s sprawled out on Slug’s bed, his older brother’s beloved stuffed wolf in his arms.

 _“Aw, if it isn't good ole' Timber… protecting your best friend's little brother while he's gone? Samuel's so lucky to have such an amazing friend.”_ White Hat thinks to himself, going so far as to imagine up a protective personality for the stuffie. It's not entirely his own idea, as when he's in headspace, Slug has a whole backstory for his stuffed wolf that’s rather… _complex_ to say the least. Is Timber a doctor or a detective? White Hat will have to ask about it next time Slug's in a younger headspace.

Forcing the thought away, White Hat gives the captured villain before him a halfhearted smile, coming to stand at the boy's bedside and give his shoulder a gentle shake. He’s sure that Flug is still exhausted after last night, but White Hat would feel a lot less stressed out if the kid got some actual, physical food in his stomach. It takes a few more shakes, but eventually Flug stirs, and he sits up right away, although he appears somewhat disoriented. White Hat has to refrain from chuckling at the sight- does early morning fatigue run in their family?- schooling his expression to be kind, yet firm. Although he’d love to be a doting uncle to the young age-slider in front of him, he’s taken Clementia’s warning to heart, and is therefore trying to be more conscious of the young villain’s devious nature. After all, he can’t let this kid walk all over him!

Just as White Hat opens his mouth to begin laying out the rules- he hopes it will intimidate the scientist into obeying him without any trouble- he’s interrupted by a lion-like yawn escaping Flug’s throat. The boy stretches, before turning his head to look at the superhero holding him prisoner with a sugar-sweet smile on his face. “Good morning, mister!” He practically chirps, smiling in such a way that his dimples show.

Aw, _fuck._ White Hat momentarily throws caution out the window, quick to scoop Flug up and hug him close to his chest. “And good morning to _you,_ little one!” He can’t help but coo, infatuated by how adorable the boy is.

Flug hugs him right back, although something about it doesn’t feel… _sincere?_ Is that it? White Hat doesn’t know why, but he feels almost uncomfortable hugging the scientist. He pushes the feeling aside, preferring to distract himself by carrying Flug out of the room and down the hallway, leading him towards the kitchen. “You must be starving after all of that stress from last night… what would you like for breakfast?” White Hat inquires, hoping to keep Flug as content as possible in order to avoid any unnecessary conflict. When the boy doesn’t answer right away, White Hat makes a suggestion. “Well, what does my brother not let you have very often? Other than desserts, of course.” No need to get him on a sugar rush this early.

There’s more hesitation, before Flug makes up his mind. “Um… may I have some p-pancakes, please?” He asks, giving White Hat puppy-dog eyes.

“Such good manners! Of course you may, little one,” White Hat promises, finally reaching the kitchen. He opens the door with a blink, and finds Clementia and 606 already inside. 606 looks a little worse for wear, but nothing too terrible; the bear’s fairly self-healing, given enough time. “Good morning, everyone! How did you all sleep?” The demon asks, smiling brightly at his employees. He hopes that by keeping the conversation light and uplifting, that everyone will get along as a result.

606 just growls aggressively at White Hat- nothing new there- so Clementia speaks instead. To the hero’s relief, she seems to be in much better spirits than she was last night. “I slept alright, dear. A little rough, considering the circumstances, but I’m feeling good about today. How about you?”

“I slept fine! However, I’m also a tad… _stressed.”_ White Hat can’t keep from meeting Flug’s eyes, searching for some form of reassurance. He gets a blank stare in response. Swallowing nervously, White Hat sets Flug in Slug’s usual seat at the table, quick to go about preparing breakfast for everyone.

“We’ll get Sammy back soon, love. I’m sure of it,” Clementia offers up comfort instead, seeing as Flug doesn’t seem willing. Once White Hat has his back to the group, she gives Flug a small glare, keeping her eyes on the boy. “So long as no one here makes things _difficult.”_

Unable to see Flug’s response to the obvious jab, White Hat ignores his employee and continues cooking. It doesn’t take very long, as he prides himself on being an at least _somewhat_ decent cook- comes from having to raise himself in the wilderness for most of his childhood- and even White Hat feels his stomach rumble at the sight of food. He doesn’t have to eat very often, as he relies on sleep for his energy, but it wouldn’t hurt to eat a little bit of food. Shaking his head, White Hat forces himself to focus again on the task at hand, beginning to delicately prepare everyone’s plates of food (or bowl in 606’s case). Once ready, he sets breakfast on the table. 606 dives face-first into his meal, scarfing down breakfast with all the desperation of a starving horse. White Hat subtly rolls his eyes at the sight, amused by the bear’s wild antics.

“Easy, boy… you act as if we don’t feed you.” White Hat chides, but it holds no real weight. He isn’t in the mood to try and scold 606 into behaving, especially since his _‘father’_ isn’t home, and therefore can’t back White Hat up if 606 decides he doesn't want to play nice.

“He’s just grumpy is all,” Clementia explains, giving 606 an almost pitying look. She knows that although 606 isn’t one for affection, the bear misses Slug a hell of a lot more than he’s letting on. “Thanks for making breakfast, sweetie, I really appreciate it.” She says once White Hat places a plate of pancakes in front of her, offering her boss a kind smile.

“Anytime, my love,” White Hat replies, before turning his gaze on Flug. Up until now, the boy’s been dead quiet, fumbling with something in his lap. “What do you have _there,_ little one?” He asks, trying to glance over Flug's shoulder to see what he's got. “A project, perhaps? May I see?”

Flug flinches; _hard._ The scientist fumbles a bit with his hidden item, hiding it under his shirt for privacy. “Um, uh…” He honest to God stutters, and even White Hat can tell he isn’t faking it this time around. “N-No thank you, s-sir. I’d like to k-keep this to mys-self…” He says, not quite meeting the hero’s gaze.

White Hat is tempted to pry, but he doesn’t want to start a fight. Besides, it’s probably just Sam’s stuffie that he’s got… poor kid just misses his big brother is all. In an attempt to dispel the awkwardness, White Hat sets Flug’s breakfast down in front of him. “That’s okay, son, you don’t have to show me,” He assures, ignoring the skeptical look on Clementia’s face. “How about you just eat breakfast, okay?”

Flug pulls a face once he sees the food, and White Hat can almost _see_ the boy’s stomach twist in knots; crap, he has a hard time eating in the morning, just like his big brother. This is going to be harder than White Hat thought. “Oh, um… th-thank you, sir. B-But that’s a… a _lot_ of f-food.” The boy points out, not quite meeting his eyes, as if he’s afraid of being punished. Does Black Hat hurt him when he doesn’t eat? White Hat shivers at the thought.

“Just eat as much as you can, son,” White Hat all but begs, even beginning to cut up the pancakes for Flug. “Here, let me help you.”

“White…” There’s warning in Clementia’s tone, as if White Hat is poking a wild wolf. “Don’t you think that that’s a bit _much?_ You’re crowding him, love.”

“Nonsense, I know what I’m doing,” White Hat brushes her off, not taking her advice seriously. Who’s the actual parent here? Certainly not her. “Our guest is clearly an age-slider, and he needs all the help he can get.”

“A-Age-slider? What does that m-mean?” Flug is more than a little confused, by the looks of it, even tilting his head in consideration. He looks so much like his brother when doing that, it actually hurts a bit.

“It means you mentally regress sometimes,” White Hat explains, not even batting an eye; which is probably a good thing, considering how his powers work. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your little nursery, Flug. You may not be as little as my own son, but you’re still very much an age-slider. I doubt my brother’s educated himself on the matter, so I’m not all that surprised that you don’t know the proper terminology.”

Where Flug had previously appeared interested in the conversation, upon hearing the underhanded insult towards his boss, his whole attitude changes, and he scowls at the superhero in response. “Jefe isn’t _stupid.”_ He says, clearly upset by White Hat’s comment.

Again, White Hat isn’t taking this as seriously as he should be; he just sees Flug as some naive little kid that needs everything explained to him, “Oh, I didn’t mean to offend you, little one,” He assures, patting Flug on the head. If anything, that makes him even _angrier,_ the boy glaring wholeheartedly at his captor. “Aye, cut that out,” The demon scolds, unimpressed by Flug’s scowling. “There’s no need to glare at me, little one. I apologized, so it’s over.”

“But you’re not actually sorry… you’re just saying so to look good. _Typical cape._ Your kind never actually give a crap about the people around you, they’re all just background characters for your reality TV show.” Flug mutters, crossing his arms and looking away from White Hat, scowl still present on his face.

 _“Excuse_ me?” White Hat sets the cutlery aside, leaning down to get in Flug’s personal space. He may be acting as lenient as he can, seeing as his guest is emotionally compromised right now, but he’s admittedly a little off-kilter himself, and he’s losing what little patience he has left. “Would you like to repeat yourself, young man?”

“You heard me.” Flug growls, dropping the cute act without much forethought. He’s pissed, and he has no reservations against taking it out on his kidnapper.

Out of the corner of his eye, White Hat can see 606 smirking, amused by the show. Clementia is also watching intently, although she sees more hesitant than anything else, on the edge of her seat in anticipation, ready to intervene should something go wrong. Typically, if it was Slug acting this way, White Hat would have him over his knee in a heartbeat, but considering the fact that this is his twin brother’s child and not his own… he needs to make a point, but he can’t risk getting himself into trouble with Black Hat (or legitimately scaring the poor kid). What to do, what to do… eyeing the room he’s in, White Hat catches sight of a step-stool, and an idea hits him. Although he rarely reverts to timeouts with Slug, as they only make him more upset, he hopes they’ll leave a better impression on his son's little brother.

Making up his mind, White Hat wastes no time in picking Flug up. He catches a flash of fear on the boy’s face- White Hat wouldn’t be surprised if the poor boy gets beat at home- but it does nothing to hinder the demon who, after toeing the stool into the corner of the kitchen, sits Flug down facing said corner. “You can sit there until you’re ready to be more respectful towards the people you’re staying with,” White Hat announces, staying for a few seconds to make sure Flug doesn’t just get up and leave. “Once you’re ready to apologize, you can have breakfast with the rest of the family.”

“Okay, then I’m sorry,” Flug responds right away, moving to stand up, but White Hat forces him right back onto the stool. “What gives? I said I was sorry! I won’t cause anymore trouble, I promise!”

“No, you need more time to let the lesson sink in,” White Hat explains, not believing Flug’s apology to be sincere. Even if it is, the boy needs a proper timeout before he can rejoin the rest of the family. “You can apologize again after fifteen minutes. Now stay put, or you’re not going to like what happens.”

“But you said… _whatever.”_ Flug mutters, aware that he isn’t going to get anywhere with White Hat. He almost forgot he was dealing with a damned cape; the rules are theirs to bend and manipulate, and they can change their mind on a dime.

“And no talking.” White Hat warns, leaving Flug’s side to sit at the table. He no longer has an appetite, but he’ll stick around for the sake of keeping an eye on Flug.

Flug visibly deflates, angry and cornered (literally) by his opponent, and there isn’t a thing he can do about it. Within a few minutes, everyone else finishes breakfast, but they all stick around. 606 only seems to be staying because he wants to see if Flug will act up again, while Clementia remains as a voice of reason, should things get out of hand. After exactly fifteen minutes, White Hat stands up, ready to approach Flug, but Clementia beats him to it. They share a look- if White Hat tries to soul-gaze, it’s only because he’s upset, but Clementia mentally blocks him from doing so- and after the demon gives his employee a stiff nod, Clementia crouches beside Flug, getting at eye-level with the boy. The scientist refuses to meet her gaze at first, eyes glued to the floor, his arms wrapped securely around his own torso.

“I know you’re really upset right now, sweetie,” Clementia is incredibly gentle with Flug, further convincing White Hat that she would make for a great mother to Slug if she just _tried._ But again, he knows she’ll never say yes… she prefers to be a big sister, despite how well she handles Slug- and apparently Flug, too- while in a younger headspace. “But seeing as we’re all stuck under the same roof for awhile, do you think you could try and be a little nicer to everybody? It would make me really, _really_ happy if you did.” She’s using the same sort of wording she does with Slug when he’s upset, something White Hat secretly smiles at.

It takes a minute for Flug to respond, and once he does, it’s obvious why; he’s full submerged in his little headspace right now. “... M’kay,” Flug murmurs in a voice softer than cotton, sounding small and defenseless. “M’sorry, miss… I’m really, _really_ sorry!”

“It’s okay, baby,” Clementia is all smiles once Flug has apologized, hugging him so his face is pressed into her shoulder. “Thank you for apologizing, kiddo… it means a lot to me.”

Immediately, Flug is sobbing, his whole body shaking with how overwhelmed he is. “I w-wanna go _home!”_ He shouts, voice muffled by Clementia’s shoulder, but it’s loud enough that everyone in the room can still hear it.

White Hat doesn’t even think of telling Flug to quiet down. All at once, he’s reminded of Slug’s first time truly dropping, and he’s quickly by the boy’s side as well. However, as soon as Flug sees him, the villain yelps, burying his face in Clementia’s shirt. _“No!_ G-Go away!” He yells; the hero can’t even tell if it’s out of anger or fear, but he’s guessing both.

“Hey now, that’s-” White Hat goes to say, offended by Flug’s rejection.

“-He just dropped _really_ _hard,_ boss,” Clementia explains, actually daring to give White Hat a glare. It’s mild, but it still stings. “You need to _back off.”_

“I’m more experienced as a caregiver; I can help,” White Hat offers, not taking _‘no’_ for an answer. “Besides, I thought you didn’t want to be a mother.”

“I’m not _being_ a mother, White Hat; I’m _being_ a _big sister._ Stop acting immature.” Clementia isn’t standing for any of White Hat’s attitude, now body-blocking him from the aged down prisoner.

“Immature? I’m just trying to _help!_ You have no _idea_ how hard this is for me!” White Hat is reaching his limit; he’s sick of this. All he wants is his son back, but seeing as that’s impossible, he wants the next best thing to tide him over; his son’s baby brother.

“That’s not fair! You can’t just _force_ someone else to be your baby just because yours has been kidnapped!” Clementia yells, not bothering to keep her voice down anymore. She doesn’t notice the way Flug cowers at the sight, letting go of her and cramming himself against the corner to hide from the angry adults. “This never would’ve happened if you hadn’t let Slug drag us on a suicide mission! You should’ve let us plan it out properly before we threw ourselves into danger!”

“How _dare_ you-” White Hat begins to yell in return, shoulders shaking. He’s tempted to let his voice multiply, but he’s still too afraid of his powers to let it happen.

Thankfully, White Hat isn’t driven to that point. In an unlikely turn of events, 606 steps in, but not in the way White Hat would expect from the bear. In the past, 606 has only interfered with arguments when it’s concerning his creator, but seeing as he isn’t here… what is he going to _do?_ Out of seemingly nowhere, 606 gets out of his chair and gets on all fours, hip-checking White Hat out of the way as he approaches his target… who appears to be _Flug._ Clementia tries to get in his way next, but 606 bats her away with his paw, knocking her to the floor without much effort. With his teammates out of the picture and incapable of stopping him, 606 stops in front of Flug, effectively trapping him in the corner. Flug is shaking like a dead leaf at this point, terrified of the monster in front of him; he has no idea if he’s about to be maimed or not.

Slowly, and with a gentleness previously unseen in the bear, 606 presses his snout against Flug’s chest, letting out a muffled noise against the boy’s shirt, sounding akin to a big cat’s purr. Skittishly, Flug hesitates, as he’s familiar with the nonverbal order being given but not the bear giving it. However, he eventually overcomes his fear, and very nervously, Flug climbs aboard the creature before him. Once sure that Flug has a good grip on him and won’t tumble off his back, 606 glances over his shoulder at White Hat and Clementia, who look more than a little concerned. It’s clear that they wish to intervene, but they’ve never seen 606 act this way, and therefore have no idea how to stop him. Giving them an irritated huff- as if unimpressed by their behavior- 606 makes for the door, Flug still riding on his back.

White Hat goes to stop him, intent on keeping Flug to himself, but Clementia lays a hand on his chest, keeping the demon where he is. “Don’t,” She orders, voice uncharacteristically firm. “Let 606 get him out of here… he’s overwhelmed enough as it is.”

“But 606 could hurt him!” White Hat insists, genuinely concerned for Flug’s safety. He’s only ever known 606 to be violent, and he can’t imagine that changing anytime soon, especially with Slug still missing.

“Did you even _see_ his face? 606, weirdly enough, is in Mama Bear mode. He ain’t gonna let _anything_ happen to him,” Clementia promises, giving 606 a reassuring nod of approval. 606 nods back, exiting with Flug in tow. “Besides, you need the baby out of your hair while you call your brother.”

“M-My _brother?”_ White Hat dry swallows, shaking at the thought. No way in _hell_ does he want to talk to his brother, especially when they’re both so upset at each other.

“Yes, _your_ brother. If Black Hat’s even _half_ as stubborn as you, he’s not going to make the first move to arrange negotiations. I know you hate it, but you need to contact him if you ever want to see Slug again. If you play your cards right, no one will have to get hurt this time,” Clementia says, even offering her boss a half-smile, despite his earlier behavior. “… You know I love you, right? You know that I’d do anything for you?”

White Hat feels tears fill his eyes, amazed by the admission. “… I know.” He says, even when he doesn’t. He knows full well that Clementia will probably never love him the way he wants her to- he’s too stubborn, too set in his ways, and she’s free-spirited and wild. They’ll never make it work- but he wishes she did. God, he truly, _deeply_ wishes she did.

“Then I need you to _trust me,_ and for once in your life, _please_ take my advice… call your brother. Bring Slug home,” Clementia all but begs, even pressing a kiss to White Hat’s cheek. It’s fake, but she’s trying her best to convince White Hat to listen to her. “I know it’s scary and overwhelming, but you need to be an adult and get Slug out of danger… and return the kid you stole.”

“… I never put him in the van,” White Hat points out, not quite meeting Clementia’s gaze, even with her hand on his cheek. Still though, he gives in, at least a little. “… But you _are_ correct, darling. I need to… _end_ this charade,” He struggles with his words, feeling sick. He’s about to call the person who he believes ruined his life, and oddly enough? He sort of misses him, and that’s hard to deal with; it’s hard to accept, but he’s _trying._ “I’ll call my brother.”

“Thank you,” Again, Clementia kisses White Hat, this time on the lips. She holds it for a few seconds, before backing off, giving her boss a hesitant, yet loving smile. “I believe in you, boss… go get Sammy back.” With that, she leaves the room, giving White Hat some space.

White Hat stays there for a few minutes, simultaneously starstruck by the kiss and petrified at the thought of talking to his brother again… but it _needs_ to be done. Something’s gotta give, and White Hat needs to be the one to break the tension. He wishes he didn’t have to- wishes he’d never separated from his brother to begin with- but like Clementia said, Black Hat is just as stubborn as he is, and seeing as the only one White Hat can control is _himself…_ he has to do this. Swallowing his anxiety to the best of his ability, the superhero closes his eyes, and when he opens them, he knows he’ll be in his office, seated at his desk, ready to make the call. But he lets his eyes stayed closed… just for a little bit.

…

"Blackie?"

A six year old Black looks up, locking eyes with his twin brother. He’s still holding a piece if charcoal in his hand, having been drawing on a stone tablet before his brother caught his attention. "Yes, White?"

"Do you…" White visibly struggles to get his words out, beginning to look around for some sort of assistance. His eyes land on his own stone tablet, focusing on the happy family smiling back at him. "Do you ever wonder if we’ll have a family someday? Or parents?" He finally asks, hesitant.

Black huffs, rolling his eyes. "Who needs _family_ when we have _each other?"_ He asks, slinging an arm around his twin. He grins devilishly, his dull green teeth glimmering thanks to the campfire burning not ten feet away from the pair. "And if I ever see our good-for-nothing folks… I’mma eat ‘em for leavin’ us behind!"

“Ew! That’s _gross!”_ White yells, but he’s laughing all the while. He laughs even more when his brother climbs on top of him, making fake _‘eating’_ sounds at his ears, as if he’s trying to devour his brother. “Ah! Blackie, stop it!”

“What was that sound?”

Instantly, the brothers go still. Taking initiative, Black puts out the campfire, before he and his twin scramble behind a large boulder in the cave. A few minutes later, a group of men in medieval knight’s armor come to stand outside the cave, carrying torches and swords. “Anyone else hear that?” One of the knights asks, tone cautious. “You don’t think it was those… _demons,_ do you?"

“Might be…” One of the other knights says, holding his torch out as he looks into the cave, but doesn’t dare step inside; can’t risk setting off a trap. “Any demons in there?” He asks, almost joking around. Almost, but not quite. He’s seen the ashes of towns the _‘twin demons’_ have rolled through, and he wants no part in it.

Silence. Slowly, the group of knights all shake their heads, walking away. It’s not until they’re long gone that Black dares to poke his head out, a frightened look on his face. He glances around the cave, but after finding no one, he grins at his brother. “Coast is clear!” He assures, stepping out from behind the boulder to prove it.

White sighs with relief, coming to join his brother. “Thank _goodness…”_ He murmurs, having been terrified a moment earlier. “Why can’t they just leave us _alone?_ We haven’t even gone anywhere in weeks!”

“‘Cus we’re demons, dummy. And those bastards are knights; huntin’ us is their job!” Black explains, shrugging nonchalantly. He glances at his tablet, but decides against drawing anymore. “We should get some sleep; gonna need to head further west tomorrow morning.”

“Okay…” White huffs, laying down on the floor. He begins shivering right away, as they don’t exactly have any blankets at the moment. They had to leave most of their belongings behind a few days ago, having been almost caught last time they were found by humans.

Black rolls his eyes at the sight, but nonetheless curls up beside his twin brother, wrapping his arms around his torso. Soon enough, White’s breathing evens out, and Black can only assume his brother has fallen asleep. “… I meant it, what I said,” Black whispers, although he doesn’t think White will hear him either way. No matter; he doesn’t like being too emotionally open anyways. “We don’t need a family, _or_ parents… not when we have each other. I love you, White… and I’m never gonna let _anyone_ take you away from me. _Ever.”_ And just like that, Black soon succumbs to sleep, passing out while cuddling his twin.

Silently, White smiles, clutching Black’s hands where they’ve settled over his abdomen. “I love you too, Blackie.” He promises, falling asleep as well soon after.

Come morning, they’ll have to head west in search of food- to find another lonesome town and eat the corpses of their dead- but for now they’re safe, and allowed to sleep through the night… and that will just have to be enough for them.

…

Of all the things that could’ve happened, Flug can safely say this was _not_ a turn of events he could have expected! Currently, he’s back in Slug’s bedroom, sat on the floor amongst his makeshift workshop. His brother’s bear, 606- an obvious attempt at recreating 505’s original blueprint design, something Flug secretly finds hilarious, as he remembers his brother's _'care bear'_ comment quite well- is curled protectively around him, acting almost like a sofa while Flug messes with the object he’d been hiding from White Hat earlier. It’s a walkie-talkie, and Flug hopes it will be able to connect to a phone back home. Flug would’ve _loved_ to work off of an actual cell phone, but he couldn’t find/get ahold of one, so an old, broken walkie-talkie will have to do. In any case, Flug tries to not let it bother him; he’s made more with less.

Fidgeting with the antenna on the device, Flug holds it out in front of himself, head tilted in deep thought; it looks about as good as it’s gonna get. “Here goes nothing…” He mutters, clicking a switch on the side of the makeshift phone.

A few minutes pass, where the device beeps and clicks excessively. Flug almost believes it to be busted, but after an especially loud beep- Flug slams the speaker against his chest to muffle the sound- the call seems to go through. As the walkie-talkie makes the telltale sounds of a call being sent, Flug can’t help but feel a bit anxious. Will anyone pick up at home? He’s fairly certain that the only device in the house that’s old enough to accept the signal is the old phone under his bed. Flug believes that therefore, if no one is in his room, then no one will pick up the call. And what if his plan is discovered? What if White Hat walks in while he’s talking to Black Hat? Flug shivers at the thought; he was lucky enough to just get a timeout earlier, he _really_ doesn’t want to see what else White Hat is willing to do to him.

Just as Flug gets ready to give up- his worrying has him terrified beyond reason, and he’s pretty sure he’s starting to feel small again- the call gets received. “Hello?” An all too familiar voice asks, sounding confused to even be _getting_ a call. “Who the heck _is_ this?”

“… _Sammy?”_ Flug can’t help but ask, feeling his heart swell with both joy and relief once he recognizes the voice. His brother hasn’t been killed! “Is that _really_ you?”

“Flug!?” There’s a commotion on the other end, as Slug seems to scramble, before he continues speaking. “Sorry, had to hide in your closet; can’t have your boss walking in on this! How are you even calling me? I seriously doubt White Hat gave you a phone.”

“I modded a broken walkie-talkie in your room,” Flug explains, feeling a bit prideful. Slug may be the an amazing biologist when it comes to inventions, but at the end of the day, Flug _knows_ he’s the better mechanic; he partially blames it on his obsession with airplanes. “Are you okay over there? Jefe isn’t hurting you too bad, is he?”

“He’s… _fine,”_ Slug hesitates, not sure exactly what he wants to say. There’s an audible sigh, before Slug overcomes his anxiousness and speaks his mind. “Hey, so I, uh, talked to your… your _dad,”_ He’s clearly uncomfortable, but he’s trying to remain calm enough to talk. “And I just want you to know that… it’s okay. _You’re_ okay. God, Flug, I’m so sorry we never… never _talked_ about age-sliding. I was having it happen to me before we even _separated,_ and I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you feeling like you had to take care of me… plus, I didn’t want you to be the same way. And now I feel like I should’ve talked about it, because maybe then you would’ve _known_ it was okay before it started.”

Flug feels himself beginning to cry, tears running down his face. On one hand, he’s _beyond_ embarrassed that his brother knows he age-slides. On the other hand… he’s _relieved._ He’s not _alone._ Breathing a bit shakily, Flug tries to calm down, swallowing before he responds. “It’s… oh, Sammy, _please_ don’t blame yourself! It’s not… it was _never_ your fault! I didn’t even _feel_ small until I was on my own, and even then it wasn’t that bad! Sam, I’m sorry if I made you feel like you had to hide that from me… you know what the worst part is? Knowing how stupid of a teenager I was, I probably would’ve been a jerk and teased you about it.”

“You wouldn’t have done that, Flug,” Slug is so certain about it, but Flug remains unconvinced, crossing his arms and pouting on his end. “Flug, I _love_ you, and I’m sorry for… for _abandoning_ you. What I did wasn’t right by any means, and while I thought it was justified at the time, it really wasn’t. You ended up all by yourself, and I… I got myself into _so much_ trouble, bro. Did you know I went to prison? Four times?”

“Prison!?” Flug knows he should be more upset about this- lord knows their father would be in an early grave if he ever found out- but he can’t help but _admire_ his older brother. “And you _escaped!?_ That’s so _cool!"  
_

“That’s… _one_ word for it,” Slug chuckles, amused by how excited Flug is by his past hijinks. “Dad prefers calling it _‘reckless and foolish’_ to say the least.”

Flug huffs, secretly hating being reminded of the pompous superhero. “Your dad’s a _jerk,”_ He mutters. However, just as quickly as he said it, he backpedals, realizing how that might sound to Slug, especially since he also age-slides. “Crap, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“-No, it’s okay… you’re _sorta_ right. He _can_ be a real jerk sometimes,” Slug amazingly enough agrees, not at all offended by his brother’s comment. “But I think I have a right to say that your dad’s pretty shitty, too…”

“… _Yeah,"_ Flug says, tears filling his eyes again at the reminder. “I really miss him, though… is he doing okay? Is he mad at me?”

"What? God no! I mean, he’s fine, but… Flug, I don’t think he’s _capable_ of being mad at you!" Slug explains, seemingly flabbergasted by Black Hat’s behavior. “I know you tend to beat yourself up a lot- and you’re not alone, ‘cus I do the same thing- but your dad… he loves you _so much!_ He, uh… he actually soul gazed with me. Do you know what that is?”

Flug shakes his head, but upon realizing Slug can’t see him, decides to respond verbally. “Um… no. I don’t.” He admits, secretly ashamed. It sounds like one of Black Hat’s superpowers, so why doesn’t he know about it? Does Black Hat not trust him with that information?

Slug bites down a sigh, and although Flug has no proof, he’s worried that Slug is now frustrated with him. “Okay, so… soul gazing is a _really weird_ power. It’s something White Hat does a lot, but I figure Black Hat doesn’t do it _nearly_ as much, ‘cus his side-effects were… _pretty bad,”_ He trails off, before continuing, finally getting into the rhythm. “Basically, soul gazing is what it says on the tin; you look into someone’s soul through making eye contact. If you’re on the receiving end, there’s things you can do to prevent it, but seeing as I didn’t see it coming, I couldn’t… _yeah,_ I got it _full on._ Thing is, when someone soul gazes, it’s a two way mirror. When he saw into my soul, I saw into his. You wanna know what I saw, lil’ bro?”

Flug nods his head viciously, on the edge of his seat with anticipation. For a moment, nothing outside of this conversation exists; not 606 pressed against his back, not the foreign yet nostalgic mansion he’s in, not the little walkie-talkie held like a lifeline in his hands… all that matters right now is this conversation, and whatever Slug has to say to him. What did Slug _see?_ Did he see _hatred? Darkness?_ Flug knows Black Hat is evil- he’s not referred to by so many villains as _‘the lord of villainy’_ for nothing- but some part of him is scared to see that anger and hatred focused on him again. Oh sure, he grew accustomed to it while working for Black Hat as a teenager, but now that they’re settled into their new relationship? Flug doesn’t think he could handle it again; he can’t go back to fearing for his life every second of every day.

“Flug? You there?”

Flug snaps out of it, still feeling sick. Biting his lip, he nods, but again remembers the fact that he’s not talking face to face with his brother. “Y-Yeah, I’m here,” Flug assures, voice trembling with fright. He’s so _scared;_ he _wants_ to know what Slug saw, but he also _doesn’t._ Flug’s pretty sure it’s the most awful thing he’s ever dealt with, besides of course his entire childhood. “So, um… wh-what did you see, Sammy?” He asks, tone tentative.

_“Please… please don’t hate me, papi.”_

Slug doesn’t waste any time in responding, perhaps because he senses how upset the subject matter is for his little brother. “He _loves you,_ Flug,” He says in no uncertain terms, the smile obvious in his tone. “God, Flug, I’ve never… I’ve never _seen_ someone love like that before. Sure, my dad loves me as his son too, but… Flug, your dad _adores_ you.”

Flug can’t stop it from happening; he breaks down. Hearing that admission- that raw, true statement- is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and all at once, Flug feels himself come undone. Black Hat really… he really _loves him? Truly?_ Flug has spent a majority of his miserable existence longing for love, going so far as to drag himself into some pretty horrible situations in an attempt to get it, but it’s always led to nothing more than heartbreak for the young inventor. With Black Hat, while Flug still put his best effort into earning that affection he so badly craved, he always held back a fraction, just in case the demonic villain he worked for lost his patience with him and tore his fragile hope to pieces. As a result, Flug never let himself get his hopes up too high, for fear of having it crumble down under him.

And now… now he _has it?_ Black Hat _genuinely_ loves him? Something about it feels… unreal. _Impossible._ Like it can’t physically _happen._ Flug’s spent _so_ long giving all the love he has to everyone he knows, only to have it torn up in his face or unacknowledged. And now… now he’s loved by someone? That’s _it?_ No more suffering, no more begging; he just _has it?_ Sure, Flug’s been working for Black Hat for over two years now, but he still somehow feels like he hasn’t earned the right to such affection, especially now that he keeps getting sidetracked by his newfound mental issues. He’s just a chore now, right? So how could Black Hat love _him_ of all people? Well, now Flug isn’t sure if he’s relieved or burdened by the news, because now that he _has_ the love, he has to find a way to _keep it._ What if it’s taken away? What if Slug’s _lying?_ What if-

“-Flug? _Flug!?”_ Slug is absolutely _frantic_ on the other end of the call, sounding as though he’s crying. Great, _another_ person that Flug’s hurt with his emotions… is there _anything_ he can do right!? “Flug, it’s okay, lil’ bro! Please answer me! I’m getting worried… Flug, _please_ talk to me! You know I lo-”

Flug hangs up, setting the walkie-talkie aside. He doesn’t want to hear another lie, or another admission that will eventually ruin him. Flug just sits on the floor, sobbing like the world is coming to an untimely end. Internally, he knows that his reaction is a little over the top, and entirely unnecessary, but he can’t help how he feels right now; his mom once told him she loved him, too. Then, the _minute_ he wasn’t good enough for her, she took that love away. It was a cookie she held above his head, just out of reach. He could have it if he was perfect, but not a moment sooner. It was _torture,_ overworking himself in some exhausting attempt at earning just a _bit_ of affection, and to just… _have it_ all of a sudden. It’s _terrifying._ It’s like being handed an oversized glass vase, and being told that he can’t put it down for the rest of his life.

“Flug? Sweetie, what’s wrong?” It’s Clementia’s voice that sounds through the door, her tone concerned after having heard his sobbing. “Are you hurt? Did something happen?”

Continuing to cry, Flug still has just enough sense to think. He debates with himself for the longest time, swinging between letting Clementia in and hiding under the bed and never coming out. He decides on the former. Slowly, and with all the unsteadiness of a baby giraffe, Flug gets up and approaches the door. He opens it, and immediately he collapses into Clementia’s arms, wailing at the top of his lungs. He knows he’s in his younger headspace by now, he just doesn’t want to acknowledge it. Thankfully, Clementia doesn’t ask him to, and with an admirable amount of strength- does she have super strength like Demencia does? If Flug weren’t so upset, he’d ask her about it- she picks him up without much effort. She then carries Flug to Slug’s bed, taking a seat on the piece of furniture and setting the short villain on her lap.

“There there,” Clementia murmurs, keeping her voice down. She’s not used to dealing with an age-slider this little, but that’s not going to stop her from trying to make things better. “It’s okay, my darling… I’m here.”

Flug just continues to sob, burying his face in Clementia’s shirt. He wants to go home; he wants to die. He isn’t sure which one it’s going to be, but Flug wants these feelings to end, and for the drama in his life to just fucking _stop._ Fitfully, he curls in on himself, barely aware of Clementia toying with his hair while 606 rubs against his legs, purring again in an attempt to provide him with some form of comfort. Over a long period of time, Flug finally manages to calm down, absolutely _exhausted_ after the crying fit. Once settled down, he leans away from Clementia a fraction, embarrassed by his own childish emotions. But Clementia is having none of it, giving the scientist in her lap a bone-crushing hug that knocks the air out of Flug’s lungs, but in all honesty it feels pretty good, so he doesn’t fuss about it all that much.

“Um… thank you,” Flug manages after a spell, face bright red in the aftermath of his meltdown. “Sorry you had to, um… _deal_ with that.”

“It’s no trouble, sweetheart. I know I’ve been pretty hard on you since you got here, but it’s only because I’m really worried about my little brother, and I know that’s made things harder for you. I’m sorry for that, lil' buddy.” Clementia says, even pressing a kiss to Flug’s forehead.

Flug gives her a weak smile in response, secretly appreciating the affection. “I actually, um… just talked to him. Over the phone.” He admits, feeling as if he needs to somehow repay Clementia for comforting him.

Clementia’s eyes widen, the woman leaning back in surprise. “You _did? How?”_ She asks, genuinely curious. “Never mind that, actually! How is he? Is he hurt?”

“He’s okay. I mean, he’s about as okay as he _can be…_ he’s gotta be in my room, since he picked up on my old phone, so I think Black Hat’s treating him pretty well? I'm not entirely sure, we didn’t talk about our living situations,” Flug says, looking away as he hesitates, wondering what he should and shouldn’t tell her. “He’s, um… he told me that he soul gazed jefe, and that my boss, um… _loves me?_ Because he saw it in his, uh… _eyes?”  
_

“That must be nice to hear!” Clementia smiles at Flug, glad that the kid got to hear such a comforting thing.

“Um… not _really?”_ When Flug is met with a confused look from Clementia, he does his best to elaborate. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m _glad_ to hear that Black Hat loves me- _relieved_ even- but it just… doesn’t feel _real?_ Like, I’m so used to being hated that being loved sounds so… _unnatural._ And I’m really scared that if I start to like it too much, it’ll be taken away!” He isn’t sure what causes him to talk about such insecurities to Clementia- especially considering the fact that she’s a superhero- but Flug does regardless, just wanting it off his chest. “Am I being selfish or bad for being scared? Am I just an idiot?”

“Oh, _honey…”_ Flug’s used to hearing that in a condescending tone of voice, but amazingly enough, Clementia makes it sound comforting… something that seems _impossible_ in this day and age. “You’re not bad for being confused, or scared, or anything you’re feeling… you and your brother both had a really traumatizing childhood, it’s no _wonder_ you’re cautious when people show you affection! The fact that you’re willing to talk about it means you’re getting better! I know you might not take my advice seriously, seeing as I’m a hero and you’re a villain, but… you _need_ to tell your daddy about this, sweetie. If he truly loves you, he’ll listen, and he’ll help make accepting his love _much_ easier!”

“… Okay,” Flug mumbles, unsure of how else to respond. He now has a lot to think about, and even more to discuss with Black Hat, but he knows he'll have to wait to do that later, what with them being separated and all. “Thank you for talking to me, miss Clementia… I really, _really_ appreciate it.”

“Anytime, doll,” Clementia assures, adding a wink for good measure. This earns her a full body blush from her companion, causing the woman to giggle. “You are just the _cutest_ little thing, aren’t you? No wonder your daddy’s crazy about you!”

Flug blushes even harder, ducking his head. Just then, the bedroom door opens a second time, and everyone- even 606- looks up to see who it is. Unsurprisingly, it’s White Hat, and while he looks a little worse for wear, he still offers his teammates a hesitant smile. “Sorry if I’m, uh, interrupting something,” He says, appearing skittish. His eyes settle on Flug, who can’t help but shrink away from him in fear. “You’re not in trouble or anything, son,” The hero assures a bit frantically. “But… I need your help with something. It’s… it’s your _father._ He’s on the phone, and he wants to talk to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This didn’t go in the Exact direction I thought it would, but as usual, my writing apparently has a mind of it’s own! Again, I’m sorry this took so long, but I hope this long chapter makes up for it! Okay, here’s my dumb world building notes:
> 
> 1\. It’s not overly obvious, but I like making a lot of parallels in my stories, with certain events reflecting past ones. This is especially clear with my Black Hat/Demencia and White Hat/Clementia scenes. While the feelings are from different parties, the actions are similar in that Black Hat/Clementia kiss Demencia/White Hat out of pity/as a way to help them. It’s not really Okay either way, but it shows that they’re flawed characters.
> 
> 2\. White Hat and Clementia’s relationship definitely comes off as more creepy/unsafe, as the power dynamics are Very different. While it’s not Great that Demencia so unapologetically crushes on Black Hat, she doesn’t hold any power over him, so it’s not as uncomfy to see. For White Hat and Clementia, Clementia is automatically at a disadvantage in the relationship, seeing as she not only doesn’t reciprocate it, but also she works for White Hat, making refusing his advances Much Harder.
> 
> 3\. White Hat has absolutely No intentions of forcing Clementia into Anything, but the fact that he still has feelings for her despite her disinterest in a relationship isn’t exactly healthy and it’s something he needs to eventually address. As for Demencia, while her attraction isn’t nearly as “unacceptable”, she’s much less inclined to stop pursuing her crush, so it can be debated who’s more at fault.
> 
> 4\. While the Villainous crew is a fairly organic found family, the Heroic squad… isn’t. White Hat regularly pushes for his teammates to see each other as family members, but he struggles to understand that he can’t force them to feel that way. As for the Villainous crew, they became a family purely on accident, and it wasn’t anything Black Hat initially sought out. Is this deeper than it needs to be? Yes. Is that going to stop me from writing about it? Fuck no.
> 
> 5\. Somewhat on topic; White Hat and Black Hat are equally as immature when it comes to their world views/feelings towards others/opinions, but because of how much White Hat represses his feelings and denies being imperfect in any way, he comes off as Much more immature, where as Black Hat fully embraces it and couldn’t give two shits about being perceived as unreasonable.
> 
> 6\. God, I could go on about the hat twins for Hours, but this is already getting pretty long… yes, Black Hat and White Hat were indeed around in the medieval ages, and have been around since the dawn of man; they just age Really Slow. At this point, both mentally and physically, they’re in their early to mid forties (the only reason they’re “retired” is because they’ve been causing mischief/saving lives for several hundred years each). I might someday do a whole backstory fic for them, but I’m still not sure.


	6. for the love of a son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for Black Hat and White Hat to make the exchange- to return each other's children- but will their resentment towards each other outweigh their senses? It's up to their sons to mend the damage, and perhaps open the door to recovery for these struggling brothers!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, the end of this multichaptered fic! Can you believe this was originally meant to be only three chapters? Me neither. Thank you all for sticking with me for so long; I hope this was worth it! To my midnight readers; please go the fuck to bed, this is over 10k and y’all are gonna fuck up your sleep schedules.
> 
> ((EDIT: added chapter summaries to all of the chapters, seeing as the fic is finished. Sorry if they're lame/corny!))
> 
> ((Edited on July 5th, 2019. I am still so ridiculously proud of not only this chapter, but this series in general... I love it so much, and I'm so happy so many people love it as well. You all mean the absolute world to me, and I hope you know that!))

To be entirely fair, Black Hat, by all accounts, should be more than capable of handling this. After all, his own age-slider is most certainly younger than Slug Flys, and yet… well, Black Hat blames it mostly on the fact that this isn’t necessarily _his_ fucking kid; that needs to be addressed. Sure, there are a lot of people who are _great_ parents, but when it comes to taking care of kids that aren’t their own? Yeah, no thanks. Black Hat is fairly sure he’s one of those people, as he has little to no idea what the _fuck_ he’s supposed to do right now. Despite his best efforts to treat Slug as delicately as he could once he realized he was an age-slider, it seems not even the lord of villainy himself could prevent the superhero in his possession from dropping.

He’s keeping his distance for now; he’s got the little brat locked in a cage that’s five times his size, so it’s not like he’s squeezing the cape into a cat carrier. Still, despite being given incredibly generous accommodations, the little bastard continues to scream and fuss, kicking at the bars and all together _not_ getting with the program. As much as Black Hat would love to roll up his sleeves and beat some sense into the little chucho- preferably with his cane- he knows that a beating will only worsen the boy’s mood and condition. Therefore, Black Hat is keeping Slug locked up for the time being, and has his cage pushed into a corner of his office. He’d prefer to just dump the kid on Demencia and 505, but knowing them… yeah, _no,_ the kid’s better off staying with him, even if his yelling _is_ rather annoying.

Letting out a mighty sigh, Black Hat collapses in the armchair behind his desk, exhausted far too early in the day; this is mostly because he doesn’t know what caused Slug to drop to begin with. One minute, the kid was making himself useful by tidying up Flug’s bedroom- Black Hat hadn’t asked him to, but he secretly appreciated the gesture- the next he could be heard screeching his lungs out from across the mansion. Of course, Black Hat had rushed to check on the little bastard, and indeed the boy had fully dropped into headspace- being roughly around Flug’s _‘young’_ age if the demon had to guess- and was found throwing some sort of old cellphone at a wall while shouting obscenities. Black Hat looked the gadget over, but seeing as he can’t really repair it himself, he hasn’t figured out why Slug’s so upset.

It’s times like these that Black Hat _really_ misses his hijo; he'd probably have a field day fixing up the cellphone!

“Lemme _go!”_ Ah, _right…_ the kid’s still awake. Slug’s screaming breaks Black Hat out of his thoughts, causing him to immediately contract a terrible headache. “Lemme _outta here,_ you crazy old man!”

Black Hat takes a moment to compose himself- deep breathing is key if he wants to return this brat in one piece- before he addresses the regressed superhero. “First,” He points directly at the boy without even looking at him, knowing that the lack of eye contact will intimidate his prisoner, and as he’s learned through Flug, a scared age-slider is a manageable age-slider… unless they’re overwhelmed. Then a scared age-slider is fucking _impossible_ to deal with. “You will _not_ take that tone of voice with me, boy. Second, I am only keeping you in there for your own safety; lord only knows what I’ve got hidden in here.” And that’s true, as Black Hat is very aware of how much trouble Slug could get into if he were let loose in his office.

Slug huffs in irritation, flopping onto his back; he clearly doesn’t agree with the villain’s reasoning. It’s honestly a tad cute, and reminiscent of Flug when he’s just on the cusp of sliding, but Black Hat refrains from chuckling at the sight. “I wouldn’t do nothin’ dang-er-ous,” Slug assures, sounding out the word; his vocabulary is less than stellar while this deep in headspace. “I pwomise!”

Black Hat rolls his eyes, and actually snickers this time. “Oh, you-” He does air quotes, grinning devilishly at his prisoner. _“-‘Pwomise’?_ I guess I just _have_ to let you out now, don’t I? Let me go get my keys~!”

The scowl Slug gives him… would be a _lot_ more intimidating if he weren’t surrounded by plastic airplanes. “Don’t laugh at me!” He snaps, agitated. “Daddy says that’s mean!”

“Your dad is a goddamn idiot. You’d best learn that now before you’re disappointed later.” Black Hat suggests, shrugging off Slug’s babbling as nothing more than talk. After all, it’s not like the kid can _do_ anything in that little cage of his!

“Stop it!” Slug screams, no longer trying to be polite or civil. “You stop sayin’ those things about my daddy, or you’re gonna _pay!”_

“Is that a _threat?_ I’m _so_ scared; I’d like to see you _try,_ chucho!” Black Hat taunts, leaning back in his armchair as he laughs at his prisoner. However, his laughter is cut short when, out of seemingly nowhere, his top hat is shot off.

The demon yelps in unabashed terror, falling out of his chair to duck for cover (and grab his beloved hat). While on his hands and knees behind his desk, Black Hat looks around, eyes soon landing on a very amused looking Slug, who’s also fallen over, but not because he’s scared. The young man giggles like an absolute madman, a makeshift BB gun laid out beside him on the floor of the cage. Where he got it, Black Hat has no idea, but noticing the boy’s unzipped pants, the villain assumes that the boy smuggled it in when Demencia locked him in the cage. Standing to his full height, Black Hat paces towards the hero, who’s laughter refuses to die down, even with an enraged, demonic entity heading straight for him.

“Why you disgraceful, _bastardized_ little-” Black Hat unlocks the cage and yanks Slug out by the collar of his jacket, holding the boy up like a lion cub. “-If it were not for my brother, I’d feed you to Lil’ Jack!”

“But ya won’t, ‘cus yer a coward!” Slug claims, grinning like a bobcat. It seems he really doesn’t understand how much trouble he’s in, and whether it’s because he’s in a younger headspace or just because he's a fucking smartass is hard to tell. “What’s wrong, hat-man? You a scaredy cat?”

Black Hat unsheathes his claws with his free hand, raising it in preparation. Just as he opens his mouth to tell the superhero the last words he’ll ever hear, the villain hears his phone go off. He pauses, listening to it ring a second time, before he nonchalantly tosses Slug back into the cage, feeling little remorse when the hero’s back _‘cracks’_ against one of the bars inside. With his hands now free, Black Hat adjusts his jacket, before retrieving his phone from his pocket. It’s very modern for Black Hat’s tastes, but after other villains had complained about being unable to reach him, he finally _‘got with the times’_ and acquired a modern cellphone, if only to keep up with clients. Checking the phone’s screen, the demon squints; he doesn’t recognize the number.

Nonetheless, he picks up, and is surprised to find that the person calling him has decided to video chat. Even more surprising is that it’s _White Hat_ of all people. Black Hat had certainly expected him to contact him fairly soon, but he had assumed it would be via letter or telegram; can’t say he minds efficiency, though. “Good afternoon, brother,” White Hat keeps his tone formal and level, but his anxiousness is so obvious; if it weren’t for the circumstances, Black Hat would tease his twin for trying to hide his feelings from him. No one knows White Hat like he does! “So sorry to have waited so long to contact you… how are you?”

“How am I?” Black Hat laughs, but that laughter dies quicker than a lobster in a boiling pot. The demon’s eyes glow a ghastly red, and he feels his body morph in a rather disgusting fashion, his mouth opening to reveal several rows of teeth. **“My** **_niño_ ** **has been** **_kidnapped_ ** **by my** **_bastard of a_ ** **_brother,_ and you have the ** **_gall_ ** **to ask** **_how I am!?”_ **

“Um… _yes?”_ White Hat visibly shrinks, holding the phone away from him somewhat, as if afraid that his twin will reach through the screen and strangle him; good instinct, because Black Hat really, _really_ fucking wants to. “Look, we need to talk, Black. _Professionally.”_

“Obviously,” And just like that, all of Black Hat’s mutations recede back into his body, as if they had never been there at all. When White Hat doesn’t go to say anything more, the villain grows impatient, growling menacingly at his brother. “Come now, White! I haven’t got all day! Where are you keeping my niño!?”

“Your… your son?” White Hat asks, not quite meeting Black Hat’s eyes. The villain swears, if his good for nothing brother misplaced _one hair_ on his scientist’s head… not even the great creator themselves will be able to stop him. “H-He’s fine, just… a little overwhelmed, that’s all. Are you sure you want to see him?”

Internally, Black Hat feels his organs spasm and vibrate, barely contained fury making his body shake with rage. Black Hat speaks through gritted teeth, sincerely hoping his brother gets the _fucking_ _message_ and hurries up. _“Yes._ Bring him to me _right. Now.”_ He orders, voice almost multiplying, but he keeps it from doing so; it’s terrible on his throat.

White Hat nods, looking beyond frightened. He hangs up, but Black Hat knows his brother will call back. Rather, he’d _better_ call back, or Black Hat will go about tearing the city apart in search of his son. With White Hat preoccupied for a short time, Black Hat takes a moment to practice deep breathing exercises. He really, _really_ wants to go off on his brother, but… he doesn’t want to risk scaring his kid in the process. While breathing out, the demon catches wind of a chuckle. Black Hat immediately opens his eyes, looking this way and that for the fool who would _dare_ laugh at him. His eyes land on Slug, who’s hunched over in the cage, keeping his distance from the villain. The boy is smirking viciously at Black Hat, clearly entertained by his behavior.

“What’s wrong, big guy?” Slug asks, sounding a little older, but not entirely out of his little headspace. He’s still on the slide, just higher up. “And here I thought _I_ was the baby… didn’t know villains threw tantrums so easily.”

Black Hat glares at Slug, feeling all kinds of furious, but again, he restrains himself. “You are one _lucky_ little boy,” He says, pointing his cane at the little ingrate. “Were it not for my niño’s life being on the line, I would clobber you to death and leave your body for the buzzards!”

Slug rolls his eyes, but still notably stays as far away from Black Hat as possible. He’s suicidally sarcastic, yes, but a least he has enough self-preservation skills to stay away from an angry father that isn’t his. “And that means I can say whatever I want, and you can’t do nothin’ about it!” The boy decides, still unaffected by the demon’s threats.

Black Hat pauses, contemplating his next words. Threatening the boy with bodily harm is useless, as they’re empty threats, so what _will_ scare him? Suddenly, the villain smirks, an evil idea coming to him, like a light-bulb going off over his head. “Oh… so you think you’re _immune_ to getting in trouble right now, little one?” He asks, almost conversationally.

“Heck _yeah!”_ Slug says, crossing his arms over his chest, a satisfied smirk on his face. “Ain’t nothin’ you can do to me, hat-man!”

“Oh, but there _is_ something I can do~!” Black Hat assures, his hand beginning to glow. Slug is quickly enveloped in a red aura, and unable to move of his own accord, the young man is dragged towards Black Hat until he’s pressed against the bars. With the hero now closer, Black Hat crouches in front of the cage, whispering a threat into his prisoner’s ear. _“I_ may not be able to discipline you… but your _father_ can. And I’ll _gladly_ tell him how you’ve been acting!”

Slug goes pale right away, eyes the size of saucers. “N-No you won’t!” He yells, not wanting to believe Black Hat. “H-He wouldn’t listen to a no-good villain like you!”

“He wouldn’t? How about his _brother?_ Would he listen to _him?”_ Black Hat smirks, feeling much better once he sees genuine fear in Slug’s eyes. “You may not understand it now, my boy, but us adults… we _talk._ And we tell each other when our children misbehave, especially when those children could be considered our sobrinas o sobrinos,” He paces in front of the cage, but never strays too far from the young superhero. “I wonder what your padre will say when he hears how _terrible_ your behavior has been! I know what _I’d_ do if _mi hijo_ acted like you have!”

“It was _justified!_ You’re holdin’ me prisoner, you sick freak!” Slug insists, but he still sits up, as if to protect his backside. Black Hat has to refrain from chuckling at the sight; seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to domestic discipline.

“I’d watch that mouth of yours, chucho,” Black Hat scolds, wagging his finger at the young superhero. “Wouldn’t want me telling your _padre,_ now would you? So how about you shape up, or I’ll be happy to provide your padre with a _detailed_ account of your stay with me!”

Slug ducks his head, refusing to meet Black Hat’s eyes. Unfortunately, the demon isn’t given much time to celebrate his success, as his phone goes off again. He picks up right away, unable to hide a scowl when he sees it’s still only White Hat on the screen. “Where’s Flug?” Black Hat asks, irritated.

“I’ll bring him on when you show me Samuel,” White Hat promises, body-blocking someone from Black Hat’s view, who keeps fidgeting and attempting to run off, but the hero keeps his prisoner where they are; Black Hat can only assume that it’s Flug. “You better not have hurt him, Blackie.”

“Don’t call me that,” Black Hat growls, but nonetheless unlocks the cage and, with one hand, picks Slug up again by the back of his jacket and holds him up within view of the phone’s camera. “Here he is; perfectly fine. Now _where_ is _mi hijo?”_ He again almost multiplies his voice, and again, he somehow keeps from doing so. He should honestly win an award for his restraint today!

“Sammy!” White Hat shouts, horrified apparently by the state his son is in. Suddenly, he glares wholeheartedly at Black Hat, and the demon subtly shivers. Those piercing blue eyes… they were something that once comforted him, but now they just remind the villain of a time long since passed, and the events that followed afterwards. “Black Hat, if my son has been hurt, I _swear-”_

“-Dad, please stop,” Slug is, thankfully, the voice of reason here. “I’m okay, dad, I swear… can I _please_ go home soon? I’m slidin’ pretty bad tonight…”

“Oh, baby boy… it’ll be alright, son. I promise. You’ll be home _very_ soon,” White Hat assures, softening in an instant for his offspring. He then makes eye contact with Black Hat again, eyes no longer glowing. “Thank you for not harming him, brother.”

“Don’t thank me just yet; show me my niño or I will flay this little bastard like a Christmas ham!” Black Hat threatens, not nearly as calm as his brother, at least not yet. He hopes to regain his senses once he’s shown his child.

“Very well… I shouldn’t keep you waiting,” White Hat says, stepping aside, only for the person behind him to sidestep with him. The superhero makes a confused face, looking over his shoulder to meet the hidden prisoner’s face. “Sweetheart? What’s wrong? Don’t you want to see your daddy?”

“I’m, uh… I d-do, but…” Flug trails off, and even if the young scientist is afraid, Black Hat feels an embarrassingly large amount of his stress dissipate just from hearing his niño’s voice. “I’m scared.” The boy admits, voice quivering.

“Flug,” Black Hat says, before his brother can do the reassuring; this is his job, not White Hat’s. “It’s okay, mi hijo… you know I would never hurt you, correct? Please… come out, cariño. Te amo, y quiero ver tu cara.”

There’s a lengthy pause, in which Black Hat is left, in all honesty, a bit terrified. Does Flug not want him as his padre anymore? Did he decide that White Hat is better? All at once, Black Hat is filled with a fear like no other. The villain has never considered himself the jealous type, as he’s confident in his own ability to outdo anyone foolish enough to challenge him. That is… except for his twin brother. Sure, Black Hat won last night, but he unfortunately is well aware that he and his brother are at about the same level strength wise. And hell, Black Hat also knows his brother is much nicer than him! Has Flug already grown to prefer White Hat? Did White Hat offer to take him in? Does… does Flug not _love him_ anymore?

In his deepest moment of despair, where Black Hat believes he’s just had his heart broken in two… Flug steps out into the open. And just like that, Black Hat’s heart _soars._ The darkness is gone now- well, not gone, just tamed- and has been replaced with the one tiny, puny little light that Black Hat allows to glow in his domain. Flug looks a little worse for wear- when was the last time the poor boy was changed? Or fed?- but otherwise he appears unharmed, something Black Hat is relieved by. As he’s mentioned before, White Hat has only just recently turned to pacifism, and while he seems pretty intent on actually committing to his newfound lifestyle, it’s going to be a _very_ long time before Black Hat trusts White Hat not to shred every villain he manages to get his hands on.

But enough of that; Black Hat needs to talk to his hijo!

“Flug, are you hurt?” Black Hat has a myriad of questions, but he knows his priority is his son’s safety. “Has my brother harmed you in any way?”

“No, jefe, I’m fine… just a bit anxious is all,” Flug answers honestly, likely to save White Hat from any unnecessary beatings at the hands of his twin. “Am I coming home soon, jefe?”

“Soon, mi hijo. Soon,” Black Hat looks to White Hat, all of his earlier anger gone, replaced by a firm resolve to reunite with his son. “Well, brother? How are we going to do this?”

“Certainly not in the open; no need to embarrass our sons, should they age-slide during the exchange,” White Hat explains, calmly laying out a game plan. Black Hat has to physically resist the urge to smirk, recalling a time where his and his brother’s plots got them into all kinds of trouble as children. Those were the days… “Furthermore, I don’t want to be too far from home, as I want to get Samuel back to the manor as soon as possible. I believe the old train station outside of the city should be suffice; isolated and abandoned, a perfect place to conduct our deal without risking an audience.”

“Very well,” Black Hat takes no issue with White Hat’s decision, as he too believes the abandoned train station to be a suitable meet-up. Offhandedly, the villain catches sight of Slug perking up at the mention of trains, something Black Hat’s secretly amused by; figures that Flug’s brother would also share a love for some type of public transit vehicle. “Then we meet as soon as possible. However, for obvious reasons, I will be bringing my other henchmen with me. Just in case you decide to act too… _unreasonable.”_

“Oh, Blackie… I wouldn’t do something so rash; not when my son is in danger,” White Hat assures, though he nods nonetheless. “But I won’t argue with you… I’ll bring my own team as well then. See you soon, dear brother. And Samuel… you’ll be home soon, son. I promise.” With that, the hero hangs up.

Slug huffs once the phone call has ended, giving Black Hat a harsh glare. “You better not attack my dad _or_ my brother, villain!” He growls, his tone younger again… seems hearing his father’s voice has slid him back down the slide.

Black Hat refrains from snarling at Slug. “Be quiet,” He orders, all business. “We’re going to be leaving in a moment to meet with White Hat, understand? You will be perfectly behaved during the trip there, or I swear, your father will never hear the end of it.”

That convinces Slug to shut up. Black Hat smirks at the sight, resisting the urge to chuckle. He’s going to miss having a superhero around, if only because they’re so fun to torture and mess with. However, Black Hat would gladly trade every hero in the world for his scientist. Speaking of which, he really oughta get the rest of his team together. Black Hat swiftly teleports downstairs, letting out a yelp when he lands sideways on the floor of his kitchen, Slug stuck underneath him for a moment. Standing up, Black Hat’s a tad uneasy on his feet, but he recovers nonetheless. He rarely uses teleportation, as it’s another one of his brother’s specialties, and it’s made even harder seeing as Black Hat teleported _with_ someone.

“Maybe _don’t_ experiment with your powers, dumbass. At least until I’m gone.” Slug suggests. Huh, it seems he’s… _out_ of his younger headspace? That _soon?_ He slides faster and more frequently than Flug, or maybe he can just control it? Hard to say.

“I told you to _hush,_ chucho,” Black Hat says, not even really paying attention to his prisoner. He rubs his forehead until the pain wears off, and once he’s recovered, he exits the kitchen, dragging Slug behind him. “Come, boy. We haven’t all day!”

Slug rolls his eyes, but still follows after Black Hat, which the demon appreciates. The more everyone cooperates, the faster this will end. After catching Demencia up on the situation- she’s more than a little excited to be getting Flug home, although she had to be talked out of bringing her axe- and getting 505 ready- had to be wrapped tighter than a mummy in bandages, but he’s recovered faster than Black Hat expected, and can fight again if need be- Black Hat goes to his boy’s nursery. Entering the bedroom, something feels… _wrong,_ although Black Hat believes it to only be because of his son’s absence. He leaves Slug by the door, and begins sifting through Flug’s toy-box, searching for something.

“What ya looking for?” Slug asks, sounding honest to God curious, despite the fact that he’s still in a hostage situation.

“Plaga,” Black Hat explains. When this only gets a raised eyebrow out of Slug, the villain sighs dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Flug’s beloved stuffed rat.” He iterates, being clearer this time.

For a moment, Slug doesn’t say anything more, so Black Hat ignores him in favor of continuing his search. However, a moment later, he catches sight of Slug moving out of the corner of his eye. The demon feigns continuing the hunt, but he secretly has all of his focus on Slug, just in case the foolish bastard decides to attack him (Black Hat isn’t going to fall for that one twice). But, to Black Hat’s utter surprise, Slug doesn’t attack him. In fact, the boy _helps him,_ beginning to search under the crib and on the floor for the stuffed animal. Black Hat is tempted to ask why Slug is helping, but in the end he doesn’t, reaching the answer after a moment of contemplation. Were the roles reversed, and White Hat had lost something of his, Black Hat- at least as a child- would’ve assisted him in retrieving the object.

A small smile crosses Black Hat’s face, though he doesn’t let Slug see it. Seems Flug really _does_ have a loving brother… that’s nice. That’s _really_ nice. In all honesty, Black Hat misses his brother sometimes. Mostly he misses the affection his fellow demon provided, and while Flug certainly gives him love in spades- perhaps that’s one of the many reasons why Black Hat has grown so attached to the boy- nothing compares to that loyal, sturdy love of a brother. Still, Black Hat believes his relationship with White Hat is irreparable, especially after the events of last night. A shame really; before his brother had invaded his home, Black Hat had been entertaining the idea of trying to contact White Hat again, if only to show Flug to him. Even if White Hat may never love him again, Black Hat would hope he’d at the very least learn to love Flug. Seems he already does.

“Found it,” Slug says, knocking Black Hat out of his daydreaming. The villain turns around, and immediately catches sight of the stuffed rat in Slug’s hand, held upside down by it’s tail. “At least, I think this is it…”

“Yes, that’s her,” Black Hat confirms, taking the stuffed rat from Slug. He looks the toy over, smiling a little when he recognizes a Build-A-Bear aviator’s jacket on the stuffed animal. “I’m sure Flug will feel better once he has her again…”

Slug just… watches Black Hat for a time. The demon tries not to feel uncomfortable under the stare, but it’s hard. “What is it?” Black Hat finally asks, hating Slug’s silence more than anything else.

The young man startles, appearing sheepish. “Sorry, I…” He trails off, glancing from Plaga back to Black Hat, all while scratching behind his head, clearly nervous. “I guess I’m just… glad my brother has a dad that loves him. He deserves it.”

Black Hat calms down fairly quickly, and although he prides himself on being unbelievably evil and cruel… he feels a bit bad for the kid. Slug’s failed to mention it aloud, but he doesn’t need to, as Black Hat saw it alongside the boy’s love and empathy; he’s insecure. More accurately, he’s unsure if his father loves him. Looking into his soul again- Black Hat’s careful this time, not looking too deeply, and not alerting Slug to the fact that it’s happening- he sees even more hesitance than beforehand. Secretly, the demon believes it’s grown because Slug’s seen into Black Hat’s soul, and has therefore seen what unabashed adoration for a man’s offspring looks like. Has he… _not_ seen that in White Hat? Does he believe he doesn’t deserve- or have a chance at- being loved by a father figure?

“There there,” Black Hat isn’t sure what brings him to comfort Slug- all things considered, he should still hate him with a passion- but he’ll blame it on pity. “Knowing my brother, he likely loves you more than anyone on this planet.”

“Not more than _Clem,”_ Slug states, sounding bitter and hurt. “Sure, to him I’m his kid, but I know he loves Clementia _way more_ than me. He might be good at hiding his soul when he gazes, but I know it’s true. If Clementia wanted him to, he’d throw me out if it meant getting with her.”

That’s… wow, okay, _clearly_ things aren’t as great at White Hat’s place as Black Hat thought they were. Are they even _talking_ over there!? “You should discuss this with my brother; it’s not my place to convince you that you're loved,” Black Hat can’t figure out what to say in response to Slug’s venting, so he settles on that, mostly because it’s true; again, Black Hat’s better with his own kid than someone else’s. “And don’t give me any bullshit, chucho. If living over a hundred centuries has taught me anything, it’s that remaining as an island will only ruin you. So talk to your damn father, for God’s sake.”

Slug doesn’t meet Black Hat’s eyes, but the villain believes he’s gotten through to him, at least somewhat. “… I might actually do that,” Slug mutters, though he remains hesitant; he doesn’t want to get himself into any trouble, by the looks of it. “It’s about time our family just… _talked.”  
_

“It will lead to some interesting things, I promise you that,” Black Hat assures, smirking at various memories. Every time he’s actually sat and talked with one of his employees, it’s only led to good things happening, so he figures a family talk will only make things better. “Now we’d best be off… we must be reunited with our brothers, sobrino.”

And, despite their differences- despite how _painfully alike_ the two men are- Slug follows after Black Hat, offering no snide remarks or arguments to the demon, who in turn doesn’t taunt the hero into a fight. They’re both tired, and above all else, they want to be reunited with their loved ones. They can get along until then. And perhaps, if fate should allow it, Black Hat wouldn’t mind reuniting with this boy under better circumstances. He’ll never be a son to him- Black Hat can’t imagine trying to get this damn brat to behave- but he honestly wouldn’t mind having a little nephew visiting him every so often. Besides, Flug would likely love it as well. Black Hat smirks at the thought; he just hopes White Hat is willing to talk once the exchange is finished. He would _really_ like to see his brother again…

…

There are few things more terrifying than an angry parent. White Hat has dealt with his fair share of them over the years- namely after witnessing his fellow superheroes being protective over their children turned sidekicks- and before meeting Slug, White Hat couldn’t wrap his head around what made parents… _like that._ Sure, he understood protectiveness. He understood love. But he could not, for the life of him, understand _parental love._ Having never had parents to raise him, it just seemed so… abstract and unreal. But the very _minute_ White Hat laid eyes on Slug- muzzled and handcuffed by the police as they guided him up the driveway, the sheriff _begging him_ to try and rehabilitate the little troublemaker- something inside of him just… _woke up,_ as if he had been waiting for this moment his whole life.

Unfortunately, Slug didn’t feel the same nearly as fast, but after a few months, he too softened around the edges, and it wasn’t long after that when White Hat first saw Slug fully entrenched in his little headspace. He had been so _scared…_ but once the boy had recognized that White Hat _wasn’t_ going to kill him for being in a younger headspace, well… he came to his boss for comfort. The road was bumpy along the way, as White Hat and Slug wrestled and argued about how they wanted their relationship to be, but after several episodes of trial and error, they reached a comfortable middle ground. On the weekends, so long as they weren’t busy, White Hat would look after Slug while the boy slid into a less stressful headspace, and by extension Slug would refer to White Hat as _‘Dad’_ or _‘Daddy’_ if he was especially young. For awhile, it seemed to work, and they were all happy.

And then _this shit_ happened.

“Sweetie, please, I beg of you; watch the road.” Clementia’s voice breaks through White Hat’s internal monologue, successfully snapping him out of it.

The pale demon startles, shaking his head violently to rid himself of the memories. He quickly recovers, just thankful that he didn’t accidentally drive his family off a cliff while on autopilot. _Again._ Who knew minivans were so… _sinkable._ “S-Sorry, my beloved,” He murmurs, flashing Clementia a skittish half smile. “Didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“I’m not the one who’s jumpy, sweetpea,” Clementia assures, looking over her shoulder in the backseat. “Everyone still alright back there?”

“Define _‘alright’,”_ Flug says through gritted teeth, holding his seatbelt with one hand, his other clenching 606’s paw. He’s got one of Slug’s paper bags and pairs of goggles on, so it’s hard for Clementia to tell what his expression is underneath the mask, but she imagines that he must be quite frazzled. “Heck, even _Demencia_ doesn’t drive this recklessly!”

“You _clearly_ didn’t have to carpool with her in high school,” Clementia points out, snickering to herself at an unnamed memory. “She was such a spitfire back then… still is, but she was a little less conscious of it back then. Made her fun to be around, seeing as everyone else was so sad and depressed all the time.”

“That sounds… _terrifying,”_ Flug is outrageously blunt, at least on the topic of Demencia. He likely has his fair share of horror stories involving the lizard woman. “How did you even _survive_ being her friend back then?”

“Faith, luck, and pixie dust,” Clementia explains, adding a wink for good measure, which actually gets a genuine chuckle out of Flug. She smiles at the sight. “I’m glad you’re doing a bit better, sweetie… hopefully I’ll get to see you again soon after all this, when we’re not all at each other’s throats. I’ve _gotta_ get some pics of you and Slug being cute brothers together!”

“I wouldn’t count on it, darling,” White Hat warns, not allowing his employee’s hopes to get too high. “Knowing my dear brother, he’ll likely forbid me from coming near him ever again.”

Both Clementia and Flug deflate, but for different reasons. Flug actually voices his. “So… you won’t let me see Sam again? After _all the trouble_ he went to in order to bring me home with him?” He asks, depressed at the thought of losing his brother for the second time in his life.

White Hat’s quick to begin comforting Flug, more out of genuinely wanting to make things better rather than to just prevent a tantrum; he thinks he’s getting better at this. _“I_ would be fine with it, little one. However, your _father…_ well, you know how he is.”

 _“I_ do, but _you_ don’t.” Flug mutters under his breath, but White Hat still hears him.

The superhero is tempted to scold Flug for saying such a thing, but he holds his tongue; after all, he doesn’t want to start another fight like the one they had this morning. Instead, he focuses his attention back on the road in front of him. He sighs with relief as he recognizes the fact that they’re very close to the train station. Pretty soon, this will all just be a bad memory… and yet, White Hat almost doesn’t want it to end. Okay, he needs to rephrase that; he wants Slug back _more than anything else,_ but he certainly wouldn’t mind spending some actual quality time with the age-slider in his backseat. Although Flug’s been a bit of a terror since he was taken by mistake, White Hat has a sneaking suspicion that he’s actually a really good baby. He just needs to be in a better environment first.

“Looks like we’re here,” Clementia says as they pull into the parking lot of the abandoned train station, White Hat blinking to disable the security cameras and locks. “You sure you want me and Sixer in the car for this, sweetie?”

“Yes. No need to unintentionally taunt my brother into another fight,” White Hat explains, using the rear-view mirror to lock eyes with Flug, who looks both nervous and eager to be reuniting with his beloved father. “Are you ready, son?” He asks, tone soft.

Nervously, Flug nods, though it’s clear he doesn’t believe he is. “Y-Yeah…” He says, right back to being jittery now that it’s finally time to go home. “G-Guess it’s sh-show time, huh?”

White Hat offers the boy a small smile in an attempt to comfort him. He doubts it will do much to actually help, but it’s worth a shot. “I suppose it is. Come along, then.” With that, he exits the car, and after getting Flug out, stands side by side with him in the parking lot.

…

Slug can’t keep from squirming in Black Hat’s sleek, fancy sports car. He feels so… weird, being in here; it’s _nothing_ like White Hat’s annoying soccer mom van, the lack of familiarity making the scientist uneasy. It’s not made any better by the car’s other inhabitants. Black Hat is the one behind the wheel, fast asleep by the looks of it. Thankfully he parked the car before passing out, having gotten here before White Hat. Demencia is up front in the passenger seat, and while she isn’t talking to anyone in particular, she has a CD of her’s playing through the car radio, and keeps turning it up and singing along. Loudly. She’s honestly got a _really_ _beautiful_ voice, but Slug is beginning to get a headache due to the high volume. And then there’s Flug’s bear, 505, who’s sort of out of it, curled up in a ball and covered in bandages, many tinted a rusty red.

“Demencia, my dear, my love, my everything,” Black Hat says in a warning tone- it reminds Slug of when Clementia’s irritated with him- the demon finally opening his eyes, hands rubbing at his face. “For the love of all that is evil, would you _please_ turn the damned radio off?”

“Heheh… _sorry,”_ Demencia mutters, giving her boss a sheepish smile before following his orders and turning off the radio. She’s bored within a few minutes though, letting out a loud, annoyed whine. “Blackie, when are they gonna get here again? I’m _bored!”_

“Be patient, my pet,” Black Hat suggests, sitting up with a loud sigh; he looks completely fucking exhausted. “My brother will be here soon, I’m sure of it.”

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” Slug murmurs, noticing a horridly pink minivan pulling in from the other side of the parking lot. “I think dad’s here.”

“About damn time,” Black Hat growls, getting out of the car and slamming his door shut. He circles around to Slug and Demencia’s side, opening Slug’s door before grabbing him by the arm and yanking him out. “Come, chucho. Mustn’t keep your padre waiting. Demencia, other chucho; stay in the car. This will be over shortly.”

“You can just say father, but okay,” Slug says, only to get smacked upside the head for his backtalk. “Ey! No damaging the merchandise!”

“Hush, you little ingrate,” Black Hat snaps, dragging Slug towards White Hat’s van. He stops several feet away, staying just within sight, but far enough away where White Hat can’t attack him, should things go wrong. With White Hat busy getting Flug out of the car, Black Hat leans down to get into Slug’s face, his voice a deep growl, but not multiplying. “Now listen and listen good, boy; you are _not_ to act up until you’re back with your padre, understand? And do _not_ move unless I tell you to!”

“Fine,” Slug shrugs nonchalantly, aware that he should just grin and bear it until he gets home. “Gonna be honest though; I’m gonna miss driving you crazy.”

Black Hat huffs, but Slug can see in the villain’s eyes that he’s tempted to smile. “Yes, well, should things go according to plan, I’ll be seeing you again in the near future.”

Several minutes pass before White Hat gets Flug ready, and together, the two of them approach Black Hat and Slug, also choosing to keep a considerable distance from their brothers. Slug watches them both like a hawk, looking them over. White Hat looks _beyond_ exhausted, the bags under his eyes apparent, but he doesn’t like he’s been injured in any way. Flug, on the other hand, looks like someone threw him through a barn-house. He clearly hasn’t bathed in over forty-eight hours, and even more worrisome, it doesn’t look like anyone’s let him change either, something that admittedly has Slug pretty pissed; why hasn’t White Hat helped him clean up? Was Flug too dangerous to handle? He could’ve at the _very least_ let him change into some of Slug’s clothes instead of stay in a dirty fucking diaper.

“Evening, brother,” Black Hat starts the conversation first, breaking the tension. He tips his top hat at his twin, flashing his fellow demon a shark smile that would leave most men _quivering._ White Hat is _not_ most men. “Let’s not bother with any unnecessary niceties, agreed? I just want my beloved hijo back.”

“Have it your way. On the count of three, we release both boys, and they can come to us of their own accord. Is that to your satisfaction?” White Hat asks, keeping his tone uncharacteristically level. It leaves Slug feeling uncomfortable.

“It is,” Black Hat accepts the offer. He then turns to Slug, giving him a warning look as he whispers into the young man’s ear, and although it’s covered by a paper bag, Slug hears him loud and clear. “Remember; no funny ideas, chucho. Just because your padre is here does not mean you’re safe from me. Are we clear?”

“One.” White Hat starts the metaphorical timer, his grip on Flug’s hand tightening a fraction, as if afraid if he let’s go, Flug will get hurt by his own father.

“Crystal.” Slug growls, just glad to be leaving in a few seconds. He really, _really_ wants a hug, but to save his dignity, he’ll ask for one after he gets home; no need to have Flug see his big brother act like a little kid that needs attention.

“Two.” Black Hat keeps it going, pushing Slug in front of him, but he keeps a slight grip on the back of his jacket so that he can’t take off just yet.

Slug shares a look with Flug, the two brothers both simultaneously longing to have the ability to soul gaze, if only to better understand how the other is feeling. _“It’ll be over soon, lil’ bro. I promise.”_ Slug thinks to himself, wishing he had telepathy so Flug could hear him.

**“Three!”**

Simultaneously, both demons release their prisoners. Flug _guns it,_ running for Black Hat at top speed, but the distance is pretty far and he’s obviously exhausted, not to mention that his undergarments make it difficult to even jog, much less run. Meanwhile, Slug pretends like he isn’t the least bit scared or nervous, casually walking towards his father. However, once the brothers cross paths- Flug briefly brushes against Slug’s arm, causing the older brother to shiver- Slug finally gives up on being chill. It’s at the same time that Flug slows down that Slug starts running, as if accepting the olympic torch and continuing the run for him. White Hat and Black Hat begin moving once their prisoners are closer to their respective fathers, Black Hat running to catch Flug as he begins to trip and fall, while White Hat scoops Slug up as soon as he’s within arm’s reach.

Reunited at long last, the two father and son duos are all over each other. White Hat is sprouting feathers within a heartbeat, ginormous angel wings that are ten times the hero’s size coming to envelop Slug in silk soft feathers, almost like a security blanket has been thrown over the young man. Partially hidden, White Hat presses a few kisses to his boy’s face and forehead over the paper bag, tears running down his face nonstop, as if there’s a dam behind his tear ducts that have broken. Although Slug would prefer to be as professional as possible, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t sobbing like a baby, the weight of his ordeal hitting him like a bag of bricks. When Slug’s legs give out, White Hat takes to holding the boy bridal style, cooing softly at him in an attempt to draw him into headspace, if only to comfort him.

Slug mentally refuses to, wanting to stay off the slide until he gets home. After that, he’s perfectly fine with White Hat babying him for well over a week if he wants to; Slug could honestly use the break. Once he’s calmed down more, Slug looks towards Flug and Black Hat and… oh _God._ All at once, Slug is filled with a dread unlike no other, as the monster that haunted his dreams last night seems to come to life right before his eyes, all the black, inky, bleeding tentacles sprouting from Black Hat’s lithe frame, coming to gently cocoon around Flug, who instead of being rightfully afraid of the monster before him, sobs with joy and allows himself to be wrapped by the tentacles, sighing with relief once he’s been sufficiently surrounded.

Slug doesn’t even realize he’s crying again until White Hat dabs at his tears with his thumb, rubbing them away. “It’s alright now, little one,” White Hat whispers, kissing Slug’s cheek. “You’re safe now… I’ve got you,” Absentmindedly, the hero begins looking his son over, pulling up his shirt to check for any injuries. “What… oh _son,_ what _happened_ to you?” White Hat’s eyes widen in horror as he speaks, finding a myriad of dark blue bruises all over his son’s chest and stomach, a few having turned black and yellow in some spots, mainly over his rib cage.

“It’s… it’s _nothing,_ dad,” Slug assures, not liking how upset White Hat sounds. Is he going to start something over this? Slug sure as hell hopes not. “Really, it’s my own fault… Clem always says I have a smart mouth. Guess it got the best of me, ya know?”

Unfortunately, White Hat doesn’t laugh at the joke. In fact, the look of outrage on his face has Slug damn near wetting himself, admittedly terrified. He’s never seen White Hat that _angry_ before, not even during that one time when he caught Slug making a suicide bomber vest (not that Slug planned on using it or anything, but it took a lot of persuading to convince White Hat that it wasn’t turned on. Still didn’t save him from getting the spoon for that one…), so Slug’s pretty sure he’s allowed to be afraid. However, before the young man can try calming his irate father down, he hears an ear-splitting roar that has him clutching White Hat in fear. Both heroes quickly look to see what’s wrong, only to see the mass that is Black Hat vibrating with pure, unadulterated fury. _Oh no.  
_

 **“Who** ** _did this!?”_** Black Hat screams, loud enough that Slug’s surprised his ears aren’t bleeding. The villain snaps his head up, eyes glowing a ruby red as he glares at his twin brother, body refusing to stop shaking. **“What did you** ** _do_ to _mi bebé!?”_**

“Nothing!” White Hat assures, but he still backs off a few steps, keeping Slug safe in his arms.

 **“LIAR!”** In an instant, Black Hat launches himself at White Hat, tossing Flug to the ground in his recklessness, the young scientist shouting in pain as his skull hits the pavement.

Slug gets tossed aside by White Hat as soon as Black Hat hits him, Slug hitting the ground like a sack of flour. He slowly opens his eyes again, noticing blood invading his vision. He tentatively holds a hand up to the top of his bag, feeling a wetness alongside a tear in the paper. Bringing his hand back down, Slug is horrified by how much blood is seeping from what’s really only a minor cut, but with head wounds… Slug ignores it, standing up and looking around. Both Black Hat and White Hat’s vehicles are glowing, locked to keep the others from interfering, meaning it’s just Slug and Flug out here. Speaking of his younger brother, Slug catches sight of the boy from across the parking lot, laid out on the ground, immobile. Dread fills Slug’s insides, and suddenly, he’s scared he’s back in that nightmare, trapped by forces he can’t control, and that there might be an endless sea out in front of him… but all he sees is the parking lot.

Although he’s hurt pretty bad, Slug begins limping towards Flug, his arm beginning to bleed from where the unkempt pavement scratched through his jacket, leaving a noticeable slash in the leather. Still, it does nothing to hinder the superhero, as he continues towards his younger brother. Behind him, he can hear explosions and screams, as if the twin demons have opened a portal to hell and unleashed the souls of the damned; in all honesty, Slug’s too scared to look and see if that’s an accurate guess. He’s afraid it is. Despite the danger that the demons pose, it’s not long before Slug reaches his kid brother, the other inventor thankfully still conscious, but clearly out of it. Slug kneels in front of Flug, secretly relieved that it’s not himself on the ground; he doesn’t think he can bare watching the nightmare repeat itself in real life.

Flug groans, eyes half-lidded as looks up at Slug, squinting in pain, as if he’s unable to actually see him properly. He’s also got a pretty gnarly gash on him, running over his cheek and ripping open his bag, but otherwise he appears okay. A bit shaken up by everything, but nothing too terrible. Unsure of what to say or do, Slug lays down beside Flug, exhausted and hurting. His vision begins to blur, dark spots popping up, and he can’t do anything about it. Offhandedly, Slug wonders if he’s going to die here. He thinks he probably will. The young man sighs, tears trailing down his face underneath the paper bag. Slowly, he collapses beside Flug, slinging an arm over his brother. Flug lies on his side to look Slug in the eyes, his body shivering against the cold pavement, and it’s only then that Slug sees that Flug’s _surrounded_ by blood. Oh _no.  
_

“Hey,” Slug keeps his voice down, for fear of triggering the twin demons into attacking him. “It’ll be okay, lil’ bro… told you I’d come back, didn’t I?” He keeps the conversation light, wanting his brother to believe everything is fine, and that they’re not bleeding out in front of each other.

“Yeah… I guess you did,” Flug murmurs, hugging Slug as tight as he can, his blood getting all over Slug’s jacket. Not that he minds; there’s already a lot of blood. “I’m sorry for hanging up on you earlier, Sam, I was just… _freaking out._ I’m so sorry, bro.”

“It’s okay, Flug, really,” Slug assures, even if some part of him is still upset about that. Thankfully it’s overwritten by the physical pain. “You know I love you, right?” After receiving a nod, the hero gives his brother a lopsided grin. “Then that’s all that matters. I love you, kiddo… be safe, okay? For me.” And although he doesn’t want to, Slug falls unconscious, feeling weightless as he succumbs to the darkness clouding his vision, his last memory being of ice cold pavement and the sound of his brother’s erratic, terrified heartbeat.

…

"Sam? _Sam!”_ Flug screams, forcing himself to sit up, even if it hurts. His back is bleeding pretty bad from where he landed when Black Hat threw him, but it’s not enough to keep him from frantically grabbing at his older brother, trying to shake him awake. “Sammy, please wake up! I don’t… I don’t wanna lose you again, Sammy! Please! _I love you!_ I love you so much! _Sammy!”_

Slug doesn’t respond, the only proof he’s alive being his barely moving chest, his breathing soft, nearly muted. He’s… he’s _dying. He’s bleeding out._ Something in Flug snaps to attention, and he throws off his lab coat- well, not his, but it’s all Clementia could find as a substitute- and tears it apart, ripping off lines of white fleece. Flug then wraps the pieces around Slug’s wounds, trying his best to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough; he’s bleeding out too quickly. If Flug had to guess, Slug has about twenty minutes left, then there’s no recovering. No getting back up. He’ll be _gone._ Flug looks up for assistance- surely Black Hat and White Hat will stop what they’re doing and help, right?- but the demons don’t notice him at all, too busy trying to rip each other apart. It’s as if nothing else matters… as if _they_ don’t matter.

Slowly, Flug stands, struggling to pick up Slug, but he somehow manages, holding his older brother bridal style in order to keep him close. “Jefe,” Flug says, voice painfully weak. He coughs a few times, before trying again. “J-Jefe, _please!”_ He shouts this time, throat raw.

But still, the demons don’t pay him any mind. Flug feels sick, watching the creatures beat and maim each other. Do they just _not care?_ Didn’t they come out here to get Slug and him back? Or was this all an elaborate set-up on both their parts, so that they could be given a second chance at killing each other? Well, Flug isn’t impressed, to say the least. In fact, he’s downright furious, arms shaking not only with the weight of his dying brother, but the emotional pain of this betrayal. How _could they?_ How could they just _abandon_ their sons? For what? _Revenge?_ It’s petty, and although Flug knows himself to be petty as well, he also knows that there’s a time and a place for these things. Not here. Not now. Not while one of their kids is bleeding out, the other holding him close in a piss-poor attempt to prevent his death.

Do they still care? Flug has one last card up his sleeve to see if they do… he just hopes it’s an ace. For Samuel’s sake.

“PAPI!”

It _stops._ All at once, both demons _stop._ Flug just… stands there, horrified. It… it _worked?_ But for how long? Flug wastes no time, aware that there isn’t much left- for him or Sam- and begins running towards them with all his might. His body protests quite viciously, thighs burning in resistance due to all the running he did earlier, but the part of Flug’s brain that registers pain seems to momentarily be shut off, overridden by adrenaline and the desire to save a life. Once they seem to recognize the severity of the situation, Black Hat and White Hat’s eyes finally stop glowing, and the two appear to snap out of it, running faster than cheetahs to help Flug. Just in time too, as Flug’s legs ultimately give out, but White Hat manages to get Slug out of his arms before they do, while Black Hat catches Flug.

“He’s… he’s bleeding out,” Flug manages, voice croaking. He would kill for some water right about now. “Y-You gotta h-help him! _Fast!_ Please, I-I d-don’t wanna-”

“-It’s okay, hijo. Relax. We’ll save him,” Black Hat assures, snapping his fingers to unlock White Hat’s van doors. Immediately, Clementia comes running, her hands glowing pink in preparation to heal her teammate. 606 follows suit, looking ready to maim Black Hat, but he stops short, and after seeing how fearful Flug looks, he backs off a fraction, beginning to pace protectively around the group. “You’re so strong, getting him to us… I’m so sorry this happened, mi hijo.” Black Hat murmurs, pressing a kiss to Flug’s forehead over the bag to distract him.

In the meantime, Clementia rushes to save Slug, her hands coming to cover the gashes on Slug’s forehead and arm. As they glow, the scent of cupcakes fills the air, before the cuts begin to seal shut. Clementia sobs with relief, her arms shaking. If Flug had to guess, he’d say Clementia looks about ready to faint as well; healing must take a lot out of her. If the circumstances were less dire, Flug would want to experiment on her, but he has a feeling her boss wouldn’t appreciate that. Regardless, Flug is too preoccupied to pay the pack of superheroes much mind, his eyes focusing more on Black Hat, although he still feels lightheaded and injured. Just as Flug closes his eyes, preparing to sleep, he feels a hand on his cheek. Cracking an eye open, he sees that it’s Clementia, her expression worried yet resolute.

“Easy, sweetheart,” Clementia orders, tone soft. After a few moments of contact, the cut under her hands heals, leaving a faint scar across Flug’s cheek. It isn’t deep though, so he’s sure the scar will fade over time. “I’ve got you, sweet boy… where else does it hurt?” She asks, aware that just one cut isn’t what’s killing Flug.

“My… my _back.”_ Flug says, trying to roll over. Thankfully, Black Hat helps, and Flug is soon facing the pavement while Clementia runs her hands over his back, sealing the wound shut.

Offhandedly, Flug feels nostalgia from the position, although it’s not a fond reminder. While lying stomach first over Black Hat’s lap, he’s reminded of his semi-frequent spankings back home, and the embarrassment is more than a little upsetting. Despite this, Flug doesn’t visibly react, too exhausted and worn out to care all that much. It takes awhile, but soon enough, Clementia removes her hands, and Flug relaxes, his back no longer burning the way it had before. Sure, it’s still pretty fucking sore, but Flug’s been sore so many times in this last month, he’s pretty sure he’ll get over it fairly quickly. Maybe if he’s lucky Black Hat will go easier on him because of it. Speaking of which… Flug rolls over very carefully, looking into his father’s eyes, his own half-lidded with fatigue.

Black Hat offers a small, worried smile to his scientist. “It’s alright, hijo; it’s over. We’re done fighting,” The villain looks to White Hat, who has Slug held in a death-grip against his chest, the hero sobbing. Slowly, and almost hesitantly, Black Hat lifts a hand, before resting it on his brother’s cheek, wiping away a few of his tears. White Hat startles, giving his twin a terrified look, expecting violence. “White… I’m sorry. For _everything._ While it’s not entirely my fault that we separated, I am aware that a majority of the blame lies on my shoulders. However, I… _miss you._ And I _hate_ fighting you, brother. Perhaps, once our sons have recovered, we could… _mend this._ I don’t wish to die alone, White, and I know you don’t want that either. We are immortal, so to speak, but when this world comes to an end, we will mostly certainly follow… I’d rather be with a loved one in that moment, than to face it alone.”

The minute Black Hat’s done speaking, White Hat hands Slug to Clementia, and once his arms are free, he hugs Black Hat to himself as tightly as he can, squeezing Flug between the two demons. _“Ah!_ Careful of mi hijo, you brute!” Black Hat snaps, though he’s blushing dark green.

White Hat laughs, tears trailing down his face, which is tinted a brilliant blue. “Oh, _Blackie…_ I’m sorry, too! I’ve missed you so much, big brother!”

Black Hat looks away, although Flug catches sight of tears in his eyes. The villain rubs them away with his coat sleeve, offering his twin a stern look. “Come now, White, we both know neither of us is older than the other! We spawned into this existence at the same time!”

“Doesn’t matter; you’ll always be my big brother, Blackie!” White Hat declares. After several minutes of continuing to cuddle his brother, he finally backs off, grinning wholeheartedly at the pair of villains. “So this is it, huh?” He asks, positively _glowing_ with happiness. “We’re finally going to make up? It’s over?”

“Oh, I’m _still_ running your ass out of business. But yes, the family-related fighting is over, brother. From here on out, we can begin mending our relationship… and allow our sons to be together again.” Black Hat explains, all while still holding his son against his chest.

Flug beams, tempted to cry as well, but be manages not to. “Thank you, papi!” He says, truly grateful for the end of this terrible affair. Suddenly, he blushes, aware of what he just called his boss. “Oh, um… s-sorry, je-”

“-Stop,” Black Hat orders, but not unkindly. In fact, he looks… _happy. Content._ “Please, mi hijo… keep calling me that. It feels right.”

“That’s so _precious,”_ White Hat coos, again holding Slug, who’s begun to stir somewhat, now that he’s not at risk of bleeding out. “Maybe once my little one recovers, he can start calling me _‘daddy’_ more!”

“Keep dreaming, old man.” Slug growls, voice garbled as he regains consciousness.

“Sam!” Flug makes grabby hands at Slug until White Hat sets him down. Immediately after Black Hat sets him down as well, Flug scrambles towards his older brother, tackling him in a bone-crushing hug. It’s only then that the tears finally start falling underneath his mask. “Sammy, I’m so glad you’re okay! I th-thought I’d l-lost you, big bro!”

Slug subtly rolls his eyes at the waterworks, but he’s crying too. He hugs Flug right back, possibly even tighter. “Thanks to you, I’m still here, lil’ bro… told ya you’re hero material.”

Black Hat growls, giving Slug a dirty look. “Back off, chucho! He’s _mine!”  
_

Everyone present just laughs, even Flug. Demencia and 505 soon come running to join them all, eager to check on the group of heroes and villain. Looking around at his mismatched family, Flug can’t help but smile. Yesterday morning, he had been almost okay with living without his brother for the rest of his life, as he had believed his brother didn’t want him anymore. Now, surrounded by not only his older brother, but three new people who seem intent on not only accepting Flug for who he is, but _loving him…_ it feels _good._ Flug and Slug grew up with unloving, cold parents, and now here they are, with a family of eight that’s been patched together by fate, and it feels ten times better than _anything_ their parents could have given them. It doesn’t matter what happened before; they’re here now, and they’re together.

While still looking over his newfound family- 505 and 606 are tentatively sniffing each other, as if afraid, but 505 licks 606’s nose, causing the purple bear to bristle and sneer. Demencia and Clementia are laughing their heads off, chatting about the high-jinks they’ve been getting into for the last few years, Clementia leaning heavily on Demencia’s shoulder to stay upright. And then there’s Black Hat and White Hat, the villain of the two poking and prodding playfully at his twin, the hero groaning in distaste before shoving Black Hat away, who just laughs and continues to tease- Flug meets Slug’s eyes. The brothers share a long, meaningful look, until Slug winks, a wicked grin underneath his mask. Flug smiles back, sighing as he leans against his older brother, beginning to nod off.

He’s finally, at long last, _home…_ and Flug couldn’t be happier about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S FUCKING DONE, THANK GOD!!! Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to write it, but to be honest I prefer writing pleasant little one-shots. That being said… how about some suggestions, y’all? I’ve got a few ideas already lined up, but I’m happy to hear what you guys want to see! Want Black Hat and White Hat’s backstory? Let me know! Want Clementia and Demencia to kidnap the boys for a Sibling Day? Sounds cool! You’ve all been so patient and kind to me, I want to write something I Know you’ll enjoy, so please, feel free to comment any ideas you might have! For now, things I definitely want to write soon:
> 
> ((QUICK NOTE: Bette2014, please let me know if “cariño” is strictly a romantic term, because I’m half scared it is but Google Translate said it says “sweetie” and I’m nervous that it might be a romantic term of endearment and might be inappropriate when referring to one’s child.))
> 
> ((ALSO, what Black Hat said earlier: "I love you, and I want to see your face."))
> 
> \- If y’all are up to date on the lore you probably saw this coming (or saw me screaming about the idea to Bette2014 in the comments for chapter 5).  
> Description: While visiting with his older brother, Flug is asked if he has a civilian name. He admits that he doesn't, leading Slug to begin pestering him into having a “normal name” for when he isn't working. Flug isn't that interested, but Black Hat sure as hell isn't going to let it go anytime soon. Everyone, meet Black Hat’s son; he named him himself!!
> 
> \- Listen… I just need Demencia and Flug bonding and being brother and sister, okay? Fucking sue me (actually please don’t, I don’t have a job right now).  
> Description: Out of nowhere, Black Hat is called out of town for a villain meeting. To make matters worse, Flug is deep in headspace, and White Hat can't watch him. Thankfully- or perhaps not, at least for Flug- Demencia is more than willing to watch her “baby brother”!
> 
> \- As much as I know we all love the Villainous crew (and believe me they’re my hardcore favs), I really want to do a fic based on what a normal day for the Heroic crew is like.  
> Description: Now that we’ve seen what life is like for the Villainous family, what’s it like for the Heroic one? The kid might be ten times angrier, and they might get into a different brand of trouble, but at its core, they’re just as much family as the Villainous crew… just keep an eye on the kid and his bear!
> 
> \- Obligatory “Black Hat takes Flug to a fancy party and shows him off” fic because I’m Awful(™). ((I also like the idea of Black Hat being out of his element and needing to be shown how to act at a fancy party by Flug since Flug grew up with rich parents.))  
> Description: Seeing as Black Hat is the “lord of villainy”, he’s oftentimes invited to parties by other villains. He typically declines their offers- too pompous and annoying for his tastes- but the theme of one catches his eye… it’s a good thing Flug is well versed in fancy parties!
> 
> ((No descriptions, just ideas!))
> 
> \- Flug getting sick as fuck and gets taken care of by Black Hat (who’s only experience with diseases are causing them and he’s #Dying).
> 
> \- Black Hat and White Hat’s backstory/their big fight that caused them to go their separate ways (prepare to cry, motherfuckers).
> 
> \- 505 and 606 meeting/bonding in a less violent way ((Not a fic itself, just a scene that I want to have happen in one)).
> 
> \- GIRLS NIGHT (featuring Flug and Slug, who Do Not want to be here yet here they are).
> 
> \- Christmas/Winter Holiday fic (will probably be posted in spring/summer because Yeah). Where the Heroic and Villainous families try to spend the holidays together under one roof but that goes about as well as you’d think it would (Demencia’s running around with a mistletoe trying to kiss Black Hat, Slug scares Flug into thinking Krampus is real, White Hat tries to bake treats and nearly burns down the mansion, Black Hat is trying Way Too Hard to make the holidays perfect for his kid, etc).
> 
> \- Halloween fic (Black Hat does not understand the meaning of “age-sliding isn’t normalized by regular society please don’t take me out they’ll think we’re creeps” in the meantime White Hat watches scary movies with Slug, who gets a kick out of watching his dad Scream With Fright, but accidentally drops during a gory scene).
> 
> \- Slug and White Hat’s origins (aka White Hat adopts an incredibly dangerous ex-villain orphan who wants to stab him to death in his sleep but he’s determined to Teach Him To Love And Not Stab).
> 
> \- Something angsty involving Flug and Slug having to see their parents again (specifically their mom, who’s the center of a lot of their trauma). Cue White Hat and Black Hat teaming up to try and murder/intimidate their kids birth parents.
> 
> \- How Flug ended up coming to live with Black Hat (same with Demencia, as well as 505’s creation and everything surrounding it).

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, there’s chapter 1! Thank you all for reading this! I promise for more excitement next chapter (although I’m shit at writing action/fighting scenes so fucking RIP, it’s probably gonna be mostly stealth when they get in). Also, time for me to get some world building explanations out of the way because they’re important to me but might not come up and I want to Scream (feel free to not read this shit because it’s not Super Important but it broadens the AU):
> 
> 1\. Black Hat and White Hat are twin brothers. It’s unclear to them who their parents are, as they grew up as orphans, but their powers soon made themselves known. They were incredibly close as kids, but drifted apart in their teens due to their polar opposite ideologies. White Hat believed they were cursed and needed to suppress their powers, Black Hat wanted to destroy the world that left them alone to fend for themselves. This led to them fighting at around 18/20 years old, nearly breaking the universe, before going their separate ways.
> 
> 2\. Their powers are activated differently. Everything Black Hat does is forceful, as he has always been incredibly fluid and harsh with his abilities, White Hat’s are subtle, and he oftentimes does things without realizing it. Where Black Hat does something physical to use his powers (waves hands, snaps fingers, etc), White Hat does so without thinking too much about it (blinking, breathing, etc).
> 
> 3\. White Hat claimed Slug as his own within his first year working for him, meaning they’ve been seeing each other as father and son for over a year, making their dynamic more concrete and familiar. I might get into their backstory, but it’s very similar to Flug and Black Hat’s, except White Hat was more gentle and Slug was, well… he didn’t want to at first but he eventually got used to it.
> 
> 4\. White Hat is in love with Clementia in this AU (an opposite to Demencia pinning over Black Hat). He wants her to “adopt” Slug as her son and marry him, but she ain’t interested (she sees Slug as an annoying little brother who makes dumb decisions). She’s still happy to fret over Slug though, so long as he isn’t being too shitty about it.
> 
> 5\. 606 is 100% based off of 505’s original design, but with several differences (mostly in behavior and a few DNA changes since it wasn’t a fully completed diagram and Slug only remembers it so well). Slug mostly made him to A), create a creature that could protect White Hat’s house because the nice motherfucker won’t invest in home security, and B), because he really regrets how he criticised Flug’s design (not to mention that he wants a reminder of his little brother because he misses him).
> 
> 6\. Yes, the Heroic crew uses a fucking Soccer Mom van. White Hat is always trying to show himself to be a friendly hero who is “just like everyone else” (even if he isn’t). Slug hates it with a burning passion.


End file.
